Tributes, dances, poetry and more fill Juneteenth Freedom program in Hendersonville
Tributes, dances, poetry, singing and more were part of the Juneteenth Freedom 2022 program on Saturday, which was well attended inside the Kaplan Auditorium at the Henderson County Public Library, according to event organizer Crystal Cauley with the Black History Collective of Henderson County.
Juneteenth is an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas were told they were finally free. The day has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s.
Saturday’s program included YaShara Lynch singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" and the message of hope delivered by Diana Casteel, insurance agent in Hendersonville. The afternoon included a skit performance by Indian Jackson and her son, Donald Black with the interpretation of the poem "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. Cauley conducted a “Say Their Name” tribute, honoring Black people whose deaths have been nationally mourned and protested over the last several years, including George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Patrick Loyola and Eric Garner.
The Carolina Diva Diamondz performed along with Jewel Ward, Jenna Emilie Jaffe, Linda Smith, Deborah Shelton-Ogiste and Cauley. The program was a repeat of Cauley's "No Crystal Stair: The Evolutionary Struggle of the Black Woman.”
The audience watched a short video that was choreographed and filmed by Indian Jackson, titled "Ashes to Ashes," which is spoken word poetry written and performed by Cauley. The dance and poetry paid homage to all African Americans who were enslaved in Henderson County and asked listeners to pay attention to "unmarked" graves while remembering the lives of people who were enslaved that paved the way for future generations, according to Cauley.
The program had a Juneteenth themed table by Tiara Channer with educational books, Juneteenth art, the official "Juneteenth Day" Proclamation issued in 2021 by City of Hendersonville and the Juneteenth flag.
The program's Mistress of Ceremony was community leader Tynesha Carden. Performers celebrated with a planned meeting to support Daddy D's Suber Soulfood in Hendersonville.
The next Juneteenth themed event will be Saturday, June 18 at 2 p.m. at Hands On! Children’s Museum. Deborah Shelton-Ogiste and Cauley will perform and have an interactive educational story hour.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Tributes, dances, poetry fill Juneteenth program in Hendersonville
