As the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the
ending of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth never disappoints.
Starting tomorrow, June 20th, this two-day family
celebration is completely free. The public is welcome to participate in and
explore the themes of freedom and family history through hands-on activities
and museum theatre performances. A special presentation of The Order of
Freedom, written by Atlanta History Center award-winning playwright Addae Moon,
will be performed.
The entire weekend is free at the Atlanta History Center,
and guests are encouraged to come out and enjoy the festival. They are even
welcome to continue their free day festivities with things like discoveries of
signature and traveling exhibitions and explorations of beautiful gardens and
trails.
Here’s a list of some of the activities offered:
Saturday, June 20th
McElreath Hall
Activities
Storytelling, Mama
Koku
11:00 AM and 2:00 PM
Enjoy hearing an energetic master storyteller share Southern
folktales and learn about the history behind them.
Manga African Dance
1:00 and 3:00 PM
Manga’s high energy repertoire exhibits cultural traditions
from Western, Central and Southern Africa. Enjoy watching manga dance not only
as entertainment, but also as a healing modality and educational platform to
instruct audiences on the meaning and origins of indigenous African dances.
Smith Family Farm
Activities
Southern Foodway
Traditions
Ongoing
From Africa to the New World, learn how the enslaved
community shaped Southern food traditions that we love today.
Mary Elizabeth
Bowser, Meet the Past Museum Theatre Experience
11:30 AM, 1:30 PM,
2:30 PM, 3:30 PM
Meet Union spy Mary Bowser and become a trusted confidant
working for the estate of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Listen as
Bowser shares her struggles of living a double life, as an educated free woman
pretending to be an unassuming servant in order to capture vital information
for Union forces.
Atlanta History
Museum Activities
The Order of Freedom
Noon and 2:00 PM
Written by Atlanta History Center award-winning playwright,
Addae Moon, The Order of Freedom explores the impact of the issuance of General
Order No. 3, by General Gordon Granger, on June 19, 1865, and the challenges
faced by Cora and James Lewis as they begin their journey from slavery to
citizenship.
Order of Freedom Cast
Cora portrayed by
Danye Brown
James portrayed by
Marcus Hopkins-Turner
Granger portrayed
by Tim Batten
Turning Point: The
American Civil War
Ongoing
Self-guided Audio Tours
At 9,200 square feet, Turning Point is the largest Civil War
exhibition in the Southeast telling the story of the war from start to finish
and beyond. Included are over 1,400 original Union and Confederate artifacts,
plus photographs, dioramas, videos and interactive components covering the
causes of the war, soldiers’ lives, wartime manufacturing, the home front and
the bloody, decisive campaigns of 1864. A final section encourages guests to
search for the consequences and meaning of the war, which claimed 670,000
American lives – more than the combined number of Americans killed in all other
wars combined from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. Audio tour headsets
are available in exhibition hallway.
Food for Sale:
Jim ‘N Nicks BBQ
Available at 11:00 AM
to 2:00 PM
Coca-Cola Café –
serving a limited Chick-fil-A menu
Available at Noon –
2:00 PM
Sunday, June 21st
McElreath Hall
Activities
Storytelling, Rob
Cleveland
2:30 and 3:30 PM
Rob Cleveland, master storyteller, comedian, actor, and
teacher, tells the folktale of High John the Conqueror’s journey from Africa,
through the Middle Passage, and his experience in America.
The African American
Philharmonic
1:00 PM
Enjoy performances by four members of the AAPO that range
from featured contemporary and classical to jazz and gospel works. Listen to
vocalist Terry Harper on the piano, Dishaun Harper playing the string bass,
percussionist Harris Parson on the drums and orchestra leader John Peek playing
the trumpet.
Founded in 1988, the African American Philharmonic Jazz
Orchestra (AAPO) was formed to provide a showcase for professional musicians
and composers of African American descent in the Atlanta area. At the time the
AAPO was founded, there were only four all black orchestras in the country.
Listen to performances that range from featured contemporary and classical to
jazz and gospel works.
CDs available for
purchase after performance, cash only.
Smith Family Farm
Activities
Southern Foodway
Traditions
Ongoing
From Africa to the New World, learn how the enslaved
community shaped Southern food traditions that we love today.
Mary Elizabeth
Bowser, Meet the Past Museum Theatre Experience
1:30, 2:30, 3:30 PM
Meet Union spy Mary Bowser and become a trusted confidant
working for the estate of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Listen as
Bowser shares her struggles of living a double life, as an educated free woman
pretending to be an unassuming servant in order to capture vital information
for Union forces.
Atlanta History
Museum Activities
The Order of Freedom
12:30 and 2:00 PM
Written by Atlanta History Center award-winning playwright,
Addae Moon, The Order of Freedom explores the impact of the issuance of General
Order No. 3, by General Gordon Granger, on June 19, 1865, and the challenges
faced by Cora and James Lewis as they begin their journey from slavery to
citizenship.
Order of Freedom Cast
Cora portrayed by
Danye Brown
James portrayed by
Marcus Hopkins-Turner
Granger portrayed
by Tim Batten
Turning Point: The
American Civil War
Ongoing
Self-guided Audio Tours
At 9,200 square feet, Turning Point is the largest Civil War
exhibition in the Southeast telling the story of the war from start to finish
and beyond. Included are over 1,400 original Union and Confederate artifacts,
plus photographs, dioramas, videos and interactive components covering the
causes of the war, soldiers’ lives, wartime manufacturing, the home front and
the bloody, decisive campaigns of 1864. A final section encourages guests to
search for the consequences and meaning of the war, which claimed 670,000
American lives – more than the combined number of Americans killed in all other
wars combined from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. Audio tour headsets
are available in exhibition hallway.
Food for Sale:
Jim ‘N Nicks BBQ
Available Noon to 3:00
PM
Bring your family and celebrate the 150th
anniversary of Juneteenth.
Labels: african american, African descent, Atlanta History Center, family events, free weekend, history, june, juneteenth, slavery
