S1: It’s time for KPBS Midday Edition. Today we’re talking about Juneteenth , the history , the ways we celebrate freedom and the art that expresses it. I’m Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. What Juneteenth meant in 1865.
S2: And now black people have always known that they were free. What Juneteenth was was an affirmation of something they already knew.
S1: Then panel for peace is holding its annual Juneteenth event. Plus , the San Diego Black Artist Collective kicks off its annual Juneteenth Black Arts Festival. That’s ahead on Midday edition. Happy Juneteenth. You may know the holiday as Jubilee Day , Emancipation Day or Black Independence Day , but on this day in 1865 , word of liberation finally made its way to Galveston , Texas , where the last people still enslaved under the Confederacy were being held. The news didn’t come until two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. So why did it take so long ? And what significance does Juneteenth hold today ? Well , joining me to discuss is TJ Talley. He’s an associate professor of history at the University of San Diego. Professor , welcome to Midday edition.
S2: It’s such a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me.
S1: Glad to have you on. Well , I want to start with the origin of Juneteenth. If you Google this day , you’ll get a one liner. That June 19th commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.. But what gets left out of that story ? Yes.
S2: When we think about Juneteenth , the sort of immediate moment , is June 19th , 1865 , when Union General Gordon Granger issues , uh , General Order number three , um , which is specifically focused in Texas , um , at the sort of end theater of the American Civil War. And , um , one of the things for us to keep in mind is that , um , first off , as you already noted , the Emancipation Proclamation was proclaimed in January of 1863 , which proclaimed that all enslaved Africans in the Confederacy were free , which was a bit of a sleight of hand since the Union did not control those places. Right. So , um , but as the war continued and the Union occupied more Confederate territory , those enslaved peoples found themselves freed. Um , but while the war ended in April of 1865 , really consistent American occupation didn’t make it to Texas until June of 1865. And so Gordon Granger’s um , actual , um , pronouncement in June of 1865. On June 19th , um in Galveston announced this freedom. And so on some levels. Yes , it , um , was a proclamation of freedom that already existed. Um , but also , it’s not technically accurate that it ended slavery or it was the last moment of slavery in the United States. Um , for example , there were some parts of the north , um , that still were allied with that were part of the Union that actually still had slavery until the formal ratification of the 13th Amendment in December of 1865. So enslaved Africans in Delaware , um , or I believe Kentucky actually were still , um , formerly enslaved until the end of 1865. So I’m excited to talk about more of the more complexities that are around the holiday.
S1: Sure , sure. Well , I want to dig into , um , the narratives around this holiday and , um , and agency. Right. Because , yes. Um , you know , I’ve noticed in many celebrations held by , you know , various cities and , and institutions around the nation that Abraham Lincoln is centered as this person who had a moral awakening and who freed the slaves. But , I mean , is that accurate , or are there other people who were more central to the liberation of African Americans ? Absolutely.
S2: That’s a great question. And it is it is a really simple narrative , right , where we sort of imagine Abraham Lincoln as this , you know , well-intentioned , flawed human who sort of came to this realization of sort of full black citizenship and personhood during the war. And I think you’re absolutely right. A focus on Juneteenth that focuses on Abraham Lincoln misses the actual main actors who are African Americans themselves. Um , and I think one of the most important things for us to think about in this sort of moment is , as you said , agency and autonomy. One of the best ways for us to think about this is that since 2021 , when Juneteenth became a holiday. This sort of really simplified line , right , for people that have been hearing about Juneteenth. It’s this delayed reaction where freedom is granted to African Americans , and it’s almost the aw , shucks , isn’t this wild that they didn’t know that they were free ? And I , as a professor , as a black historian and as a heritage descendant of Juneteenth , my I am a direct descendant of enslaved Texans. Um , that’s always bothered me , right ? I’ve. I’ve grown up celebrating Juneteenth. Um , and that narrative feels really simplistic. One of the most important things for us to get at , if we’re thinking about agency and we’re thinking about autonomy for black people , is what Juneteenth means , and why black people were so eager to celebrate. It was not that they had been made free. And I think it’s really important for us to remember this. Black people have always known that they were free. They have always known that they deserved and held freedom. What Juneteenth was was an affirmation of something they already knew and the work that they had already done. When we think about Juneteenth , sometimes it’s called Jubilee Day , a sort of historical , biblical time of freedom , but also , you know , a sort of black Independence Day. And I think there is a historical narrative for us to think about with that as well. Um , if we think about , uh , Frederick Douglass famous July 4th , 1852 speech. So 13 years earlier , right where he says , what to the slave is the 4th of July , right ? He says , y’all love Independence Day. Great. Um. How fun. But we are not free. Um , and yet this sort of moment , this reckoning , is. It’s a moment where black Americans could say we have known our freedom. And we are glad that you are now acknowledging this thing that we’ve known about ourselves.
S1: Can you talk about like , you know , because when we think about Harriet Tubman , for example. Right. And her role as a spy , um , for the union. Can you talk about , uh , black , black folks who fought for emancipation that we just don’t learn about in our history books ? Yes.
S2: Not only. I think it’s really important that the narrative that we are often taught , if we’re taught at all , right , is that black people are , again , passive recipients waiting sort of on the historic page to be granted freedom and be brought into citizenship. And that’s just not true. Right. So you have Frederick Douglass sort of doing these proclamations. You have Harriet Tubman , who before the war is actively at her own personal risk , leading people out of enslavement. And then , as you said during the war , actively serving as a spy , sneaking behind enemy lines and , um , posing as an enslaved person to lead more people to freedom. You have , um , all she’s leading people across the Combahee River to freedom. You have , um , enslaved Africans as they hear about the war , immediately trying to escape to freedom. Also , we have so many other historical moments , right ? We have not only the Underground Railroad , which , yes , is a moment of alliance between a variety of Americans looking for freedom. But we have African enslaved Africans actually doing the work themselves to escape plantations and either going south to Mexico or north to Canada , or even to indigenous communities like among the Seminole. And so one of these things is is key. We can look at , um , the idea that you have African Americans who actively join , um , Union military ranks to fight for freedom during the war. And freedom , again , is not something that’s just passively granted to us. It’s something that we have believed about ourselves and have actively made choices as a result of that. That’s so true. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. You know , you earlier mentioned that Juneteenth In 2021 became a national holiday. So talk to me about how Juneteenth grew and prospered as this national celebration over the last , really last century and a half , because it’s been celebrated for far longer than it has been a national holiday.
S2: It’s been really funny to talk to my friends and colleagues , right , who suddenly in 2021 were like , there was a holiday. And I was like , oh yeah , we’ve been doing this for a long time. And so there’s this sort of strange moment of , um , suddenly everyone being aware of a thing that felt very personal. Um , but what Juneteenth was , was originally a local Texas celebration , and originally just in Galveston and then throughout the state , um , in the , in the latter half of the 19th century. And it was a sense of remembering and proclaiming freedom. And it could take so many forms , it , um , barbecues and picnics and cookouts , church services , um , people dressing in their Sunday best , mainly also focusing on the colors of red and a little bit of blue. To sort of think about , um , these symbols of freedom. Um , and it became , by the early 20th century , a very profound marker in Texas and its nearby environs of black celebration. But starting in the 19 tens and 1920s with the Great Migration , you have , um , the movement of southern black Americans throughout the United States. And one way to make those claims of freedom to those acknowledgements of themselves and their own cultural continuities was to begin celebrating them in other cities. So in Boston and New York and Chicago and Los Angeles. And that’s actually the story of my family as well. Um , my family were enslaved Africans in Texas. Um , and throughout the 19th century , we’re still in the greater Texas area. And in the 1950s , my grandparents , um , moved to Los Angeles. Um , and that became part of their sense of remembering and sense of self in place. Um , was was thinking about their connections back home. And so I think of growing up in Southern California , uh , in the 1980s and 90s and still being aware of this as , uh , something that we did that was a sense of self. And so one of the things that we see as , uh , as time moves on , especially in the post , uh , the years following the civil rights movement in the 1960s , um , a moment of sort of local black pride and community organization after the 1970s and 80s , you see increasing Juneteenth celebrations in places far from Texas , like the northeast and even the Pacific Northwest , um , and places where then it’s a it’s a moment of black freedom celebration. And and in the moment of sort of 2019 , 2020 , this sort of moment of black celebration , a long movement and organization of asking for recognition , sort of came to pass in 2021 when the federal government acknowledged this new holiday. But it’s not new at all. It’s absolutely something that has been key to so many of us for so long.
S1: Do you think that Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday has changed it at all ? Mm.
S2: Yes. So one of my dear colleagues , uh , formerly at the University of San Diego and now at Trinity in Connecticut , my dear friend , uh , Doctor Shannon Miller , we first wrote in 2021 for the American Historical Review. We wrote about our fears about Juneteenth. Right. Um , and our fears about Juneteenth were born of the fact that there is a history , a tendency in the United States to universalize specific black cultural production. And by this I mean the idea that things that black people create , that they that they work , that they have made away anything from music to language to food has sort of become held up as something to be publicly acquired and understood and granted , African Americans , we often , you know , celebrate this aspect of saying as a part of acknowledging our role in the United States , saying we have a stake in this country. Look how we are jazz , rock and roll , soul , food. But at the same time , there is a sense of collective entitlement or possessiveness of black cultural production and making it universal. It’s for everybody. And I think for us , the question of Juneteenth , then , is how do you honor the local specificity of this holiday , while also seeing it as part of our broader American story and one of , hopefully , a move for humanity , autonomy and dignity ? Yeah.
S1: As much as Juneteenth is a celebration , um , do you think that in many ways it’s also a an observation of this enduring fight for freedom and liberation.
S2: Ah , yes. And I , I just I want to thank you for that question because it’s so true. Right. Juneteenth , I think , again , gets so simplified as June 19th , 1865. But just like every other holiday , that’s like imagining that the 4th of July is only July 4th , 1776. Right. That , um , each holiday is specifically linked only to that one time. The reason why black people found Juneteenth to be so profound after 1865 was that it was a way of understanding , reflecting , and making sense of themselves and the world in which they lived , especially a world that was historically quite hostile to black freedom and autonomy. Um , between 1865 and 1964. There were not full legal equality for African Americans in the United States. And so Juneteenth , very specifically , is a moment of seeing that tension. How do we acknowledge our freedom but also know that the work is not yet done ? How do we resist ? And also take a moment to celebrate what has come before us. And that struggle and that joy , that jubilee , that calling of rest only makes sense if you think of it in the broader context of a larger and continuing struggle for freedom. And , and I think that’s part of what makes Juneteenth still so relevant , this acknowledgement that freedom is not something that you just pick up at the grocery store one day. It is a constantly negotiated , constantly challenged , constantly understood realization. And that is the beauty and power of the celebration.
S1:
S2: I think Juneteenth is a profound moment of remembering what has come before and what can be in the future. As I think about Juneteenth 2025 , I think about my grandparents , my great grandparents , my great great grandparents , and what their lives were like here in the United States , and how they negotiated and hoped and worked to imagine and resist and reframe and contemplate what their freedom and agency looked like. And in a moment where we see real , complex challenges over what does it mean to be free , what does it mean to be American ? What does it mean to endure or exist here ? Juneteenth serves as a historic beacon and a reminder that those struggles are not new and a reminder that for those people feeling alienated or afraid or scared. These are not new feelings and that at the same time that there is exhaustion , there is also a chance to sit and rest and remember that those before us have also been doing the work. And I find that immensely comforting at the same time that it is exhausting , right ? The sense that there are people that have come before me that have known struggle and have known exhaustion , and they hoped for more , and they worked hard for it. And they also gave themselves the space to celebrate what they have done. And Juneteenth for me right now , feels so important and urgent in that way.
S1: I’ve been speaking with TJ Talley. He’s an associate professor of history at the University of San Diego. Professor , happy Juneteenth and thank you.
S2: Right back at you. Thank you so much. This has been a real pleasure.
S1: Up next. Reclaiming and expanding freedom.
S3: We’re changing the dynamic of what freedom has looked like in the parameters based like , yeah , you could have black joy , but it needs to be over there. And so we’re shifting the narrative that Juneteenth is freedom wherever we choose , whenever we choose.
S1: Even at the beach here , how paddle for peace is celebrating Juneteenth when KPBS Midday Edition returns. You’re listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I’m Jade Hindman. This Juneteenth one local organization is celebrating black joy , culture and community through surfing. The nonprofit paddle for peace is holding its annual Juneteenth barbecue this Saturday at the La Jolla Shores beach. Risa Bell is the founder and executive director of paddle for peace. Welcome to the show.
S3: Thank you so much for having me. It’s a joy to be back.
S1: Yes , exactly. Great to have you back. So this is the fifth barbecue that paddle for peace has put on. My first question is for people who might be unfamiliar , talk about your mission at paddle for peace and how events like this fit into that sort of ethos.
S3: So paddle for peace. Our mission is to diversify the coast by bringing Inner-City and Bipoc youth to the ocean , to experience healing in nature. There are so many studies done that show nature is beneficial to us as people. Yet so many youth are locked out of it. And there’s different socioeconomic barriers generational trauma , fear of water. Their parents and their grandparents not knowing how to swim. Coastal recreation is typically seen as like white activities. And if we look at the why to that , and we really dig deep back in history , it comes from slavery and systemic racism and redlining and all of the generational traumas that are passed down. And so through our work , we provide culturally relevant programs not just at the beach , but in the classroom as well. And we’re trying to plant the seed in the minds of children that , like nature , is theirs as well. And we teach about Stem and how to protect the planet. And it aligns with Juneteenth because , again , we’re exercising our freedom. We’re changing the dynamic of what freedom has looked like in the parameters based. Like , yeah , you could have black joy , but it needs to be over there. You know what I mean ? And so we’re shifting the narrative that Juneteenth is freedom wherever we choose , whenever we choose. We’re not introducing a new concept. We’re reclaiming space.
S1: Reclaiming it and and expanding it. Right ? That’s great. It’s been half a decade since you founded paddle for peace , and you actually celebrated that milestone very recently. Yes. Tell me , I mean , congratulations on that. Thank you. Tell me all that you’re doing right now. I mean , this has been a year.
S3: So it’s five years , and I feel like the blessings have just been coming tenfold. We were recently on the Jennifer Hudson show , so we received national , you know , notoriety through that. Um , the US Navy has reached out to partner with us on some surf programs that can heal our service members. We’ve expanded our programs into prime time starting in the 2026 academic year for our students. We’re piloting a new swim program called Ocean Sprouts , and our programs are just growing and it’s higher in demand. We also officially June 6th is paddle for Peace Day thanks to the County Board of Supervisors of San Diego County. They’ve just given us our official day. So lots of growth , lots of support. And it’s a beautiful thing. Congratulations.
S1: Congratulations. Thank you. Another important aspect of your work that you touched on is environmental and environmental justice.
S3: But what makes us different is that we make sure it’s culturally relevant. We don’t just go to the kids and start putting workbooks in their hands without tying it back to some kind of relevance. For example , if our communities are not growing up by the coast due to historical injustices , why would they care about protecting it when their own backyards are polluted ? Right ? And so what we do is we make it relevant. We talk about storm drains. You see them all over the inner city. We show them how pollution can travel from there as well to the beach. But more importantly , we don’t start with the education. We start with the fun and the connection. We bring them to the beach. We teach them how to , you know , surf and have fun. And as humans , we protect what we love. So if the children can fall in love with the beach , they’re naturally going to want to protect it , which makes the education portion easier. In addition to that , we make sure that , you know , we have hair care , we have sunscreen for them , and we talk about the importance of skin cancer , even if they have dark skin. We make sure that we know how to do hair in case the kids need their hair braided or twisted. We have swim caps. You know , in our culture , our hair is our identity. And so all of these components mix together , allow us to deliver that culturally competent ocean. You know , conservation and environmental education in a way that they want to do it. It’s not just something that’s another thing on their to do list.
S1: Talk about the hair aspect of that. Because that might that might be something that some people are unfamiliar with.
S3: So in , you know , African-American culture , our hair is our identity. A lot of us wear like we’ve or we or wigs or we have braids. And there’s like a common saying of , oh , I don’t want to get my hair wet. Right. And , you know , even as a child , you know , parents are like , don’t you go in that water ? I spent X , Y , and Z on your hair. And so we grow up thinking that like , oh , we can’t get our hair wet. Right. And that’s still very much alive in adults today. Or teenagers. Not only that , when we’re dealing with teenagers , they’re a lot more like self-conscious. Right. And so their appearance is very important to them. So if they just got their hair done , they don’t want to get it wet. So we provide swim caps. If they choose to go in without one , we braid their hair. We could twist it , you know , and things of that nature to , to remove that barrier because that is a barrier to getting in the water along with I can’t swim. And that’s a whole different thing that we’re addressing as well. Right.
S1: Right. Okay. So let’s get into the Juneteenth barbecue itself. You’ve got a range of activities here , including free surf lessons.
S3: This is a free , family friendly event. We have wellness activities in the morning that are sponsored by Lululemon and they’re hosted. Each event is hosted by a black organization. So morning yoga and Pilates is hosted by Movement Matters Collective. The Beach Run is hosted by Raise Run and Urban Run Club. And then we host a surf lessons. Throughout the day we have games. We have a hydration station. Um , we have different giveaways. We also have a game corner that was sponsored by the San Diego Foundation and also , uh , Scripps Burch Aquarium and Black Tech. And so all of our sponsors came together to make sure that we have free activities for every age. I mean , from coloring to basketball hoops , there’s something for everyone. We also have performances and African drum circle. And then we just dance. We dance , we talk. We have our over 30 community partners that will be there. Um , so Juneteenth , you know , is is about freedom , but it’s also about community. And this is not a black only event. It’s celebrating black joy and blackness. However , we do encourage our community members and our allies to come learn and celebrate alongside us.
S1:
S3: Last year we had about 300 people. This is a public event , right ? So we have walk ups and stuff. This year we’re anticipating to have over 600 people.
S1:
S3: That’s one. Also we have like the June. It’s like a it’s called a barbecue. Like , you know like you’re invited to the cookout. And so the different foods that we have there that are relevant to our culture , and then we ensure that every activity being led is of , you know , black community leaders. And more importantly , we do go over the history of Juneteenth and why it’s important. And we have our youth leaders that sit on panels and talk about Juneteenth. We also have community leaders coming and talking about their work in Juneteenth as well.
S1: That’s great. Now , last time we spoke , we talked about the history behind the sport and how modern surf culture has long erased people of color from the narrative.
S3: There are a bunch of surf orgs in San Diego , but we are the only one who focuses on black communities led by black people. And so I think that in itself is special. Um , we’re seeing more black surfers , more Latinx surfers , and , you know , we’re a growing number. And I think this generation is special. Our kids , our youth , they’re they’re emboldened and they’re empowered Power now to go and reclaim space that was theirs. And , um , we’re just out here minding our own business. We don’t care what people think and say. And I think it’s kind of like at some point it’s going to be like , can’t beat em. Join them , hopefully. Right. Because we still have some , you know , backlash because surfing in itself is very it can be seen as aggressive. It’s dominated by like white men. Right. Even with women in the sport are a minority. But when you talk about black youth coming into a sport that’s dominated by white men , it’s a scary thought. But we have a huge community that is helping , doing the work to make sure that our , our , our lineups are safe for our youth who are going to venture out.
S1: And we also talked about the healing power of the ocean that might be more important than ever.
S3: We held a paddle out in San Diego , you know , at the beach , and thousands of people showed up. And that’s what sparked paddle for Peace. And I feel like that story. It lives on that mission. And we’re kind of seeing like a repeat today of injustices just with a different community. So for me , I go to the ocean for my healing , and I lean on my community and we support each other and we we stand in solidarity with all of the communities who are impacted by this inhumane treatment. We just have to continue to speak up. Not when it’s popular , but now. And it’s necessary for our humanity to rise above. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Earlier we touched on environmental justice.
S3: Not only that , there. If you look at Imperial Beach , there is pollution like crazy. The transboundary pollution has been an issue for many years. And look at the community that lives there. So that’s an environmental justice issue. They would not let that happen at somewhere like La Jolla. Okay. And so when we think of like where we’re going to have it , it’s very strategically placed because even normal recreation at La Jolla , you don’t see a lot of black people at that beach. You see them at maybe Ski Beach or Mission Beach , which is a huge touristy beach with strong rip currents. And then you have La Jolla Shores , very well kept , beautiful bathrooms , beautiful landscaping , a ton of lifeguards , beautiful waters. Yet no one’s going there because it’s so out of reach. And so when we go to La Jolla Shores , we’re sending a message loud and clear that the beaches for all of us.
S1: All right. What’s your hope for paddle for peace. At least for the next 5 or 10 years.
S3: My hope for paddle for peace is that we play a part because it takes a whole ecosystem. We want to play a part in creating safe spaces for black and brown children , to feel safe at the ocean. We want to reduce the drowning rates in our black and brown youth , and we want all neighborhoods and communities in San Diego County , in San Diego County , to reflect the diversity that San Diego should be so proud of , instead of seeing it as like opposition or segregation.
S1: I’ve been speaking with Risa Bell. She is the executive director and founder of paddle for peace. Paddle for peace. Juneteenth barbecue will be taking place at La Jolla Shores Beach this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. More details at KPBS. Marissa , thanks for joining us and happy Juneteenth.
S3: Happy Juneteenth.
S4:
S1: The Juneteenth Black Arts Festival kicks off tonight in the Clark Cabaret at Diversionary Theatre , and we speak with one of the artists performing arts.
S5: I have a secret. Do y’all want to hear it ? It is not unlawful to be fired when you just are. So. I just blazed just be exist unapologetically all the present my presence be fully received because I ain’t got no muffin top. I’m the whole damn cake.
S1: We’ll have a preview of the four day event celebrating black joy , resistance , and fellowship when we return. Welcome back to KPBS midday Edition. I’m Jade Hindman. Today , the San Diego Black Artist Collective kicks off its annual Juneteenth Black Arts Festival at Diversionary Theater. The four day event will uplift and showcase black excellence across music , theater , dance , poetry and visual art , with a focus on community , visibility and joy. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando speaks with Joy Yvonne Jones , producer of this year’s Black Arts Festival , and artist Kelsey Daniels. Take a listen. Joy.
S6: Joy. The Black Arts Festival kicks off tonight at Diversionary Theatre in the Clark Cabaret.
S5:
S6: And what kind of things in particular can people expect ? I understand there’s going to be play readings , poetry.
S5: On Juneteenth. We’re going to have our opening event , which is our kick back. Like I said , an open mic. And then on Friday the 20th , we will have our new play series acting brand new new Play series. We’re going to have plays by Irene Kellogg called Moise.
S7: They feed me almost nothing.
S8: You have lost a lot of weight.
S7: I think they want me to die. They’ve taken away everything. My pen , my ink , my paper. I was writing letters to Bonaparte. He never answered them. I wanted to know that the interests of my country and the prosperity of France were my only guide. He refuses to give me a hearing.
S8: He acts towards you as you did toward me.
S7: He keeps searching me in the middle of the night. It wake me up to subject me to all kinds of indignities. I don’t know what they’re looking for. The treasures you have hidden , they say.
S5: And it’s work that looks at the perspective of more than one black experience. It’s work that highlights the diaspora , and we have some of the most amazing actors in the city performing these works. On Saturday , we have a two show day in the afternoon at 2 p.m.. We’re going to have our Lift Every Voice showcase. And our featured performer is Kelsey See. Oh , Daniels. And we’re going to have dancers and singers and scenes. It’s going to be really , really fun and an uplifting experience. This year we’re celebrating marginalized voices within the black community. And then in the evening , we’re going to have our featured play called Black Creek Rising by Darian Williams. That starts at 730. This play is a look at Louisiana culture , and you see the experience of this woman trying to uphold , uplift and continue her mother’s legacy and do right by her daughter and sometimes through really difficult circumstances. It’s set during prohibition at the very beginning of prohibition. And again , some of the some of your favorite San Diego actors will be performing in this show.
S9: We’ll be singing Apple don’t fall far from the tree. I see. Cher , you show got a singer on your hands. Oh.
S7: Oh.
S10: I know you can say why you ain’t tell nobody , little girl. I don’t know. I just know you and Big Mama used to sing it to make me feel good on the inside. Mama. Hey , that’s something big mama sure was right.
S9: I can see she got that Carlene spirit.
S10: Not as good as y’all.
S5: And on Sunday , we’re going to bring it all together with a gospel brunch where we hope to make one big community choir. And we’re going to have a praise team that leads us through these songs. But we want to bring everybody together to just really uplift community. And again , we’re saying community with a capital C , everybody is welcome. We are celebrating black culture , but we can’t live in a vacuum. So everybody is welcome.
S6: I said , you’re a diversionary theater , but you are sort of taking over the whole place. You’re using every inch here ? Yes.
S5: Because we have so many offerings this year , we really need as much space as we can get. So The Kickback and the gospel brunch will happen in the cabaret and the New Play series , and the featured reading , which is Black Creek Rising and The Showcase. The featured reading and our new play series will happen on the main stage , but we’re rehearsing everywhere.
S6:
S5: So we sent out a submission call and and what came back was a lot of emphasis work that emphasized history , but telling stories that are often ignored or silenced. And so we are creating a space to give those voices time and energy to be heard. And the same for our showcases. A lot of these performers have stories that are often sidelined , and it’s not what you traditionally would think of when you hear of a Juneteenth celebration. But we want to lift every voice. And so we’re standing on that this year.
S6: Now , in the past , I might not have asked this question , but we are at a moment in time where we are seeing , like history erased off the internet. We are seeing people who seem ignorant of certain aspects of history. So explain what Juneteenth is in case there are people out there who still don’t know. Great.
S5: Great. Juneteenth is Liberation Day. On June 19th , 1865 , a plantation in Galveston , Texas , got word of the Emancipation Proclamation , and that was two years after it was originally ratified. And so , in the black community , we celebrate this day as our Independence Day for a long time. It was considered just a Texas holiday. Day. But now we realize it should and deserves national recognition. That is Juneteenth.
S6:
S5: Diversionary has been with us from day one , from our very first festival , Juneteenth 2021. Diversionary has been a partner. They had a virtual festival. We called it Say It Loud Juneteenth festival. Diversionary gave us space to perform some of our works virtually and virtually. So this is just a continuation of a partnership that’s always been here. Diversionary has always created space for us when we needed it , and we really appreciate them.
S6: And explain what the Black Artist Collective is and what that does.
S5: We are a collective dedicated to uplifting black voices in San Diego right after George Floyd was murdered. There was a lot of black squares , a lot of virtue signaling. There was a lot of virtue signaling from large organizations saying that they wanted to support black artists , but we created something that actually would put energy behind it. We had a lot of support at the beginning , and a lot of that has waned , if I’m being completely honest. But this organization is not connected to any one thing , so we can continue our mission of uplifting local black artists , even without a larger organization funding us. This is truly community led and community supported. Everything is from the ground up.
S6: And for an organization like that , I’m assuming you don’t have like a home base or a brick and mortar place to work out of.
S5: we’re we’re manifesting it. It is very challenging , which is why we lean on community partners very heavily. Like diversionary , New village arts , the Old Globe. Even La Jolla Playhouse gave us space to create our works. We had an idea. We gave them a plan and they gave us space. And that is very important. But I also want to say that even without those supporters , even without those community partners , we would have found a way to lift our voices. But it is important for the community to invest in our black artists because we are here , and we have been holding up productions and doing the work for decades and deserve recognition.
S6: And one of the performers at the Black Arts Festival this year is Kelsey , and you are going to be performing a poem. So give us a little setup for this. Yeah.
S11: Yeah. So I’ll actually be the featured artist , so I’ll be doing a few different Pieces. It’ll be a micro concept called Mammy’s Revenge , and it’s about what it means to reclaim the narrative. Right. For the women who were called to nurture before their name. And so it’ll be an experimental feature. I’ll be doing some old poems. I’ll be doing a freestyle that I wrote , but really just creating depth when it comes to talking about the experiences of fat black women that you don’t necessarily see on stage page screen. So one of the pieces , like I said , is a rap that is still poetic , but it is about reclaiming the narrative and understanding that I’m not just the smiling figure with the head wrap. Right ? That there are layers to this. I have a piece called jiggly , which is about falling in love with my body , and this is jiggly. So when I was in fifth grade , I was standing outside my classroom , and this boy that I had the biggest crush on decided to come and talk to me loudly. He decided this would be the perfect time to point out my big ass belly , how it was much larger than my press , but he didn’t use my breasts because he was only in fifth grade. But his comedic timing was well beyond his years. The whole class erupted. They laughed and he laughed. And if I were white , I probably would have turned cherry red instead. I tried to turn wall I into ridiculously close to it , thinking if I perpetrate it hard enough , eventually the structure would have to accept me as one of its own , and I’d be released as a burden of being seen. I’d be free of the reality of having to be here. This is the start of my obsession with slipping into oblivion nowadays. All you gotta know the girl is here and worth the seeing the skin to not come with an instruction manual. How to love its contents. And I’m doing all right. I’m no longer an accomplice. Those unable to see my light. I’m getting used to life in this here reality. And won’t you celebrate with me ? This luscious ass. The mock , the mimics jello. Whenever I let a raucous chuckle , my giggle. That’s the way I give you with my presents. Much like my present form. I’m not really hard to miss. And ain’t none of me hard to love. Choosing myself isn’t always easy. You can’t self esteem out of sight phobia , and to making doctors believe you’re actually in pain or having employers on your access needs. This world has chosen a contentious relationship with my body and I revoke consent message. It is illegal to shout fire in the crowd when there is none. But I have a secret. Do y’all want to hear it ? I said I have a secret. Do y’all want to hear it ? It is not unlawful to be fired when you just are. So I just glazed. Just be exists unapologetically as the presence of my presence be fully received because I ain’t got no muffin top. I’m the whole damn cake. How good it is to see abundance where others find void. To call this body good , even if it’s unobservable to others. I call myself all I name myself. Everything. I celebrate baby Kelsey and her big ass belly for the last thing , and how sweet it is to be loved by me. My best self is loud laughter spilling out like secrets. Refuse to be hidden any longer. My best self is love with this jiggly ass belly. My best self is love. Living and loving this existence right now. Offering grace and witnessing shame that tries to convince me that I don’t deserve to be here. You see , I decided I was never a decorative wallflower. I am always the mural. I am already here and I am so grateful to see me.
S6:
S11: I’ve gotten a chance to see so many beautiful types of art that you don’t get to see platformed in spaces , and people being able to do experimental work that maybe they would feel that they had to edit in other rooms , or , like I said , contextualize it heavy as to why this means something.
S6: So on a certain level , does this allow you to kind of workshop things to a degree ? Absolutely.
S11: I think allowed to workshop allow to see how it moves through a space where it’s already been prepared for us , um , has been really important.
S6: All right , well , I want to thank you very much.
S11: Thank you.
S1: That was Beth Accomando , speaking with artist Kelsi Daniels and Black Arts Festival producer Joy Yvonne Jones. The Black Arts Festival runs tonight through Sunday at Diversionary Theatre. That’s our show for today. I’m your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
