Invite only event to take place on White House South Lawn
By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will once again commemorate Black freedom with a Juneteenth Concert on June 10. The musical event will take place on the South Lawn of the White House, featuring a slate of artists that includes Gladys Knight; Raheem DeVaughn; Doug E. Fresh; Patina Miller; Brittney Spencer; Kirk Franklin; Anthony Hamilton; Patti LaBelle, Trombone Shorty; Roy Wood Jr. and Charlie Wilson.
Vocalist Brittany Spencer is making waves as a country artist. She will make an appearance at the White House’s 2024 Juneteenth concern. New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty will surely wow the crowd that gathers for the invitation-only White House Juneteenth concert, which will take place on the South Lawn. Superstar Patti LaBelle is just one of the many esteemed guests set to make an appearance on the South Lawn of the White House for the 2024 Juneteenth Concert on June 10.
Photo: AP Photos
The event takes place during Black Music Month, which acknowledges the contributions of Black musicians, composers, singers and songwriters. Former President Jimmy Carter established the month-long celebration in 1979, long after African Americans began shaping the course of music.
“Black music began when enslaved people, who were cruelly prohibited from communicating in their native languages, found ways to express themselves through music,” wrote Biden in a May 31 proclamation for Black Music Month. “Set to the sound of African rhythms, they captured the inhumanity, tragedy and toll that America’s original sin took on their lives while also telling the stories of their hopes and dreams, spirituality and love and purpose.”
“Ever since, Black performers have carried on that tradition of using art to break down barriers, create sacred spaces for expression and give voice to the promise of America for all Americans,” he continued.
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, marks the day Union troops of the American Civil War arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of slavery in 1865—two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared Black people free.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021 when Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Last year, the president’s inaugural Juneteenth Concert showcased artists, like Jennifer Hudson, Ledisi and Method Man.
The White House’s 2024 Juneteenth Concert will start at 7 p.m. on June 10.
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