CNN; Published By Nicole Chavez
CNN —
An array of Black artists and musicians will take the stage at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles next week for CNN’s second annual “Juneteenth: A Global Celebration of Freedom” concert.
Produced by Live Nation Urban and Jesse Collins Entertainment, the event will commemorate the federal holiday that marks the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver special remarks during the event, which will be broadcast on CNN and OWN at 8 p.m. ET on June 19.
The night’s performers will include Charlie Wilson, Miguel, Kirk Franklin, Nelly, SWV, Davido, Coi Leray, Jodeci, and Mike Phillips, with Academy-award-winning director Questlove and Adam Blackstone serving as the musical directors.
The show will also feature a tribute to the late music legend Tina Turner by singer and “Grown-ish” star Chlöe Bailey.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but many Black Americans have honored the date for years with parades, parties, and family gatherings. It marks June 19, 1865: the day that Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, proclaiming that the enslaved African Americans there were free. The end of slavery came over two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Johnita P. Due, CNN’s executive vice president of integrity and inclusion, said the show has been “meticulously crafted as an expression of the excellence and resilience of the Black community and the ongoing pursuit of equality.” Read more
