Juneteenth celebration at the Hollywood Bowl was a celebration of change

I’ve never been more black and proud than I am now. This was my first year actually celebrating Juneteenth and I have to say it was such a wonderfully fulfilling experience. Although you should know what Juneteenth here’s some background tea. Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of slavery. My celebration took place at the Hollywood Bowl for their JUNETEENTH: Global Celebration for Freedom and black excellence. Before the celebration popped off there was a pre-show pop-up marketplace set up with local Black-owned businesses where they sold their merchandise, some even did demonstrations with it! FANCY!

Now the show’s lineup was lit! It really brought together a crowd of all ages and colors and that was displayed throughout the crowd. We saw performances by Khalid, Earth, Wind, & Fire, The Roots, Chaka Khan, Bell Biv Devoe, Lucky Daye, Neyo, Mary Mary, Michelle Williams, and many more. The presenters were even lit with names like Amanda Seals, Jill Scott, Maxine Waters, and Marsai Martin to drop a few. One really cool thing about this experience was being able to witness the first-ever performance of an all-black symphony orchestra in the Hollywood Bowl’s 100-year history! Now that’s how you celebrate black success and progress!

The entire thing was a complete vibe and gave me family reunion vibes. The host was hilarious, the music was on point, and the performers were on point. I won! What a beautiful day to be Black!