A fashion show that brings history to life is the centerpiece of this year’s Juneteenth Celebration at Hartnell College in Salinas.
The free event on June 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weaves together fashion, music, poetry and community under the theme “Know You History, Shape Our Future.”
Presented by Gabriela Lopez and sponsored by Hartnell College, Juneteenth pays tribute to black history, culture, freedom, and resilience through education, music, storytelling, food and cultural performances.
Open to the entire community, the event includes a complimentary lunch by Crees BBQ, live music by the Griot Trio Band, poetry readings and community fellowship. Topping it off will be the popular “Boots on the Ground” line dance.
A highlight of the celebration is the annual Fashion Story, a historical reenactment of Black history from Africa through the modern era, told through fashion, music and storytelling.
Written, narrated and choreographed by Creative Director Gwen Woods, who has led and expanded the production over the past three years, the fashion show features historical costumes, dramatic interpretation and cultural storytelling.
Previous years productions have featured a modern wedding segment and a tribute to civil rights pioneer Ruby Bridges, whose courage helped shape the course of American history.
“The Fashion Story brings history to life,” Woods said in a statement. “Through clothing, culture, and storytelling, we honor the struggles, achievements, and enduring spirit of African Americans while creating opportunities for learning, reflection, and celebration.”
Models and actors cast in this year’s Fashion Story:
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when the Union Army arrived and ordered the last enslaved Black people of the Confederacy to be freed. The name Juneteenth is a play on the holiday’s date, as it is a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth.”
Though people who were enslaved were granted freedom on Jan. 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, it didn’t immediately mean all those enslaved were free, the National Park Service says.
It was not until June 19, 1865, two months after the conclusion of the Civil War, that the Union Army made its way to Galveston, Texas, “under the leadership of General Gordon Granger, and he announced to the people of Texas that all enslaved African Americans were free,” said Mary Elliot, a curator of American slavery with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, said on the museum’s website.
“Texas was the farthest of the Confederate states, and slaveholders there made no attempt to free the enslaved African Americans they held in bondage,” the National Park Service says. “This meant that President Lincoln’s proclamation was unenforceable without military intervention.”
Juneteenth becomes a federal holiday in 2021
Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021.
This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Juneteenth fashion story brings history to life in Salinas
Reporting by Roseann Cattani and Daniella Segura, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Roseann Cattani and Daniella Segura, Salinas Californian | USA TODAY Network
