More than 1,000 people gathered in Sandy Springs for the city’s annual Juneteenth celebration. The evening featured music, dance, spoken word, food and community both inside the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center and outside on the City Green. Slide photos above to see images.
Now in its third year, the indoor celebration was spearheaded by Councilwoman Melody Kelley and presented by Namari Productions and Namari Dance Center. This year’s theme, “The Soundtrack of Our Freedom,” shared the influence of Black music and artistry on American culture. The event was a collaboration among the cities of Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Doraville, and a host of sponsors in the public and private sector.
City council members from the participating cities were in attendance, as well as State Rep. Shea Roberts.
According to the program, “Black artistry and innovation have been the heartbeat of the music industry, shaping not only sound but culture, identity and expression across generations,” the program states. “From the spirituals sung during times of enslavement to the birth of blues, jazz, gospel and beyond, Black people have consistently transformed pain into power and creativity into global influence.”
The indoor production featured dancers and artists from such organizations as Namari Dance Center, Labor of Love Dance, DivaDance Sandy Springs, Georgia Dance Force, DanceMakers of Atlanta, and Djoli Kelen drummers and dancers. The program also included performances by the Lynwood Park Community Choir, spoken-word artists, other musicians, vocalists and rappers.
Among the featured performers were sisters Nevaeh and Siani Jackson-Ware. Nevaeh, a scholar and emerging leader, delivered spoken-word pieces focused on social consciousness, while fourth-grader Siani accompanied her with lyrics from Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature.”
In the lobby of the Performing Arts Center, young artists under the guidance of artist PeQue Brown displayed their digital artwork.
The Juneteenth celebration highlighted education and youth development. During the event, Asbury Automotive, a sponsor of the Juneteenth celebration, presented a $15,000 check to Morehouse College.
Kelley said she is especially proud that young people are “highlighted and empowered at nearly every level of the event.”
“I recognized that without young people, Juneteenth as a tradition will not endure,” she said.
“We are talking about an indoor stage production that includes young dancers and young artists, the digital art exhibition that showcases local students and their talents, a 16-year-old DJ, and all of the young people performing in the drum circle and community dance class,” Kelley added.
On the Green
Outside on the City Green, 16-year-old DJ Olivia Sharper kept the music flowing while her father, Charles Sharper, served as emcee, encouraging the crowd to dance and celebrate. Attendees also enjoyed food trucks and vendors selling crafts, baked goods, plants and other goods. Slide photos above to see images.
Charles Sharper, a Juneteenth committee member, said what makes the event special for him is that it draws a multigenerational crowd and brings together a collection of community talent from different cities.
“It’s a safe space for people that are not African American and who feel they can get an honest experience,” he said. “They are invited to it.”
Similar to Kelley and Sharper, Shervoski Moreland and Antoine Sessions, co-founders of Namari Dance Center, describe a mission that represents the entire Juneteenth celebration: “a cultural legacy that resonates across generations, honors history and empowers the future.”
