Celebrate Juneteenth 2024 Festivities

In celebration of the Juneteenth holiday and Black Music Appreciation Month, we are featuring an array of activities and screenings. Starting at noon, DJ Planet Mo will be spinning Afrobeats. At 1:00 p.m., Edge School of the Arts with LIFE Camp drummers, in partnership with Eagle Academy, will present African dances to celebrate our cultural heritage. At 5:00 p.m., Bronx-based DJ collective and community organization Uptown Vinyl Supreme will pay homage to the analog roots of music, party, and dance culture with songs by Aretha Franklin and others in honor of the 75th anniversary of R&B music.  

Join us for a double feature presentation of Juke Joint and The Blood of Jesus followed by a panel discussion with Ina Archer and Dr. David Bering-Porter. Directed by pioneer Spencer Williams, these two all-Black cast films were produced in Texas in the 1940s. Many gospel songs are performed in The Blood of Jesus, while Juke Joint showcases jazz music by Red Calhoun’s Orchestra. Jazz originated in Black communities of New Orleans and flourished during the era of the Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and led to segregated theaters where all-Black cast films were presented only to Black audiences.

We are also featuring a special Museum tour at noon focused on Black cinema and television in our Behind the Screen exhibition, where visitors can learn about “race” films produced from 1915 to 1950s. During museum hours in the Media Game Lab, guests are invited to animate a dance scene or play two games influenced by Black musical styles PaRappa the Rapper and Rock Rap N’ Roll.

 

Schedule of events: 

12:10 p.m.: Museum tour focused on Black cinema and television (Meet in lobby) 

12:00 p.m.: Music by DJ Planet Mo (Café) 

12:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.: Animation and music video game activities (Media Game Lab) 

1:00 p.m.: Dance Performance led by Edge School of the Arts with LIFE Camp drummers in partnership with Eagle Academy (Café and Courtyard) 

2:00 p.m.: Screening of Juke Joint (Redstone Theater) 

3:10 p.m.: Screening of The Blood of Jesus, followed by a panel discussion with Ina Archer and Dr. David Bering-Porter (Redstone Theater) 

5:00 p.m.: Music by Uptown Vinyl Supreme (Courtyard) 

 

All programs are free except the Museum tour and film screenings, which are included with Museum admission. Paid museum admission includes a film ticket*, but it must be requested upon arrival. Purchase general admission here. 

*Please note: tickets for the screening are limited and will be distributed first-come, first-served. You can also purchase a film ticket in advance here and add on Museum admission upon arrival. 

Photo credit: Christos Katsiaouni