Juneteenth, sponsored by Tulsa Juneteenth and the Tulsa community, was celebrated June 13-15. The annual event features music, arts and crafts, and food. Held in the Greenwood district, the regional event attracts tens of thousands of individuals from in, around, and outside of the city.
The event’s significance this year was to recognize the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865. On June 19, the news was delivered to the slaves that they were freed from servitude by Pres. Abraham Lincoln in his Emancipation Proclamation.
The goal of the organizers is to remind the community that the work of freedom is something we share with all of humanity. On average, 30,000 – 40,000 people attend each year, but this year was different. This year, approximately 45,000 – 50,000 enjoyed a wide range of activities.
Leading up to the festival, as well as after it, events included the following: Juneteenth Fashion Show (June 8 at Vista at 21), “A Night of Live R&B and Soul” (June 12 at the LowDown Club (formerly Duet Jazz Club), and a Guthrie Green Movie Night (June 20), featuring “Riding Legacy,” which is about the Oklahoma Black cowboy community that has been around since the early 1850s.
Day One
Starting with day one of the festival, the Buy Black Community Wide ribbon-cutting ceremony was held. Five prominent, Black-led organizations collaborated to support and celebrate growing Black-owned businesses that do not have traditional physical storefronts. The program aimed to fill a gap by providing a ceremonial platform to honor these owners and highlight their contributions.
Following this, an annual block party was held and hosted by Tea Rush and Duke. During the block party, there were performances by Black artists such as Sid Carter, Emani, TMC Records, Joe Dyer, Mr. Wortham, and Upscale Smoke. These performances caught a lot of people’s attention and encouraged people to stay and have fun.
After the block party, a kickoff party was held at Lefty’s on Greenwood (10 N. Greenwood Ave). Additionally, the day included a Black Wall Street Pitch Competition. This gave business owners the chance to submit a one-minute pitch video highlighting the key aspects of their business ideas.
When it comes to the day of the competition, business pitches were required to be three to five minutes in length before a group of judges. The prizes varied from $1,000 to $10,000. First place recipient received $10,000; second place, $7,500; and third place, $5,000. In another category, three Viewers’ Choice winners were given a $1,000 grant each.
The winners were AFROPOP, King’s Way Wings, and XCLUSV. AFROPOP (https://www.afropopco.com/) is Oklahoma City’s first black-owned craft soda business. King’s Way Wings (https://www.kingswaywings.com/) is a moving chicken wing restaurant that is relocating to an official building. The business is having its grand opening on Aug. 17 at its new location, 804 S. Lewis in Tulsa. XCLUSV (https://xclusv.app/) is a mobile earmark communication broadcasting program for organizations with great viewership to grow lifetime value, drive revenue growth, and increase recruitment.
Day Two
On day two, festivities continued with Freedom Through Wealth. Freedom Through Wealth focuses on building prosperity and accessing freedom through ownership and real estate investment. Lyrical productions were presented by musical artists. The headliner for the day was Keke Wyatt, and others including Alexandria Nicole, Vokal, Demarcia, Tammy Hamilton, and Eaton Out Band.
Day Three
On day three, the last day, many activities were held, including a 5K and One-Mile Run, Yoga | Line Dance | Movement, Justice for Greenwood Genealogy Workshop, Family Field Day, Greenwood Brunch, and more shows. The main performers for the night were Tamar Braxton, followed by H-Town, Ray June, and local popular performer Branjae.
This year’s celebration was interactive and exciting for those in attendance. There were many vendors with a wide selection of food, and the community came together as we honored the history of freedom. One of the highlights was the inaugural fashion show, “This Is Oklahoma,” which was a sold-out event. The 5K and one-mile run were great successes. This was the second annual marathon and had over 400 runners to participate.
Lauren Corbitt-Evans, executive director of Tulsa Juneteenth was pleased with this year’s program.
“It was an honor to serve our community once again this year. It was a great success with both record numbers and outstanding new editions to the festival. We are deeply thankful to all the sponsors, artists, volunteers, vendors, and attendees who joined us to celebrate the 10th year, our collective freedom and (to) continue the legacy. Despite a few sound issues on the main stage, we are incredibly grateful for the understanding shown by this year’s major headliners and the community. We promise to get it right next year.”
For more information, visit https://www.tulsajuneteenth.org/