How South Florida is using the arts to redefine Juneteenth ahead of America’s 250th anniversary
By Wilkine Brutus
June 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM EDT
Juneteenth, the federal holiday observed each year on June 19th, not only marks the end of slavery in the United States, it serves as an opportunity to probe racial progress and celebrate the Black community through the arts.
Cultural events in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami are focusing on how Black people express their existence as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.
Celebrating history through the arts “helps communicate Black stories more broadly,” said Kunya Rowly, founder and Executive Artistic Director of Hued Songs, a South Florida nonprofit celebrating Black culture through music, dance, spoken word, and short films.
“At its core, art really allows people to make sense of the world, Rowly told WLRN. “And also to see themselves reflected back into the world that we wanna see.”
Juneteenth events are happening across South Florida, including the Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival, June 21 at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach.
Liberty City’s independent Black-owned bookstore, Roots Bookstore & Market, is running its inaugural book fair featuring established authors and community leaders.
And Hued Songs' Juneteenth Experience, June 19 at the Miami Beach Bandshell and June 20 at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale, is putting on a full multidisciplinary theatre performance.
Rowly said the theme of this year's Juneteenth Experience, a concert-theater production, is called "We, Too, Sing America," a line inspired by a poem by Langston Hughes called, “I, Too.”
2025 Hued Songs' Juneteenth Experience (6500x4335, AR: 1.4994232987312572)
READ MORE: Haitian culture’s popularity is rising beyond the FIFA World Cup
Rowly said it’s a reminder that Black history, Black identity, Black music has always been built into the fabric and the tapestry of the United States but often begs the question "who is America and who gets to say so."
“ And so certainly as we look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States, I hope that people walk away with, A, of course experiencing this really incredible, amazing performance,” Rowly said.
“But also being able to be a little inquisitive about how we think about history, who gets to tell it and how we define you know, whose history is told.”
This year's main stage performances include an array of gospel, blues, R&B and classical music, original spoken word, choreography and visual storytelling.
Cast include Clinton Harris, choreographer and dancer; King Friday, musical director; Miriam King, gospel and soul vocalist and writer; Erron Cooper, gospel vocalist; Wilkie Ferguson, III, Broadway performer & vocalist; Eric Nelson, technical and lighting director; Sandi Stock, production stage manager; and Quincy Knowles, sound and projection technician.
He said one way to be inquisitive is to also remind people about Florida’s own emancipation day, which is on May 20th, along with Juneteenth.
“It's not about producing something one year and then not doing it again,” he added. “How do we ensure that constantly every year there's really a steady drumbeat to ensure that we recognize Florida's Emancipation Day, to ensure that we recognize and honor Juneteenth?”
2025 The Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach (1206x802, AR: 1.5037406483790523)
That same sentiment is shared in Palm Beach County. The Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival in West Palm Beach is returning for its sixth run.
“We've created a safe space for all these years for people to walk freely, connect. It's like one big family reunion,” Founder Sukeenah Kelly told WLRN.
The event is put on by her nonprofit Juneteenth of Palm Beach County, and it's a way to establish in-person community through small business vendors, food, and live entertainment.
“So that's why we are calling it a homecoming,” she said.
“We've been saying that from the beginning that it's really a big cousins link-up, and I love that for the community — just to have that space to just be.”
Kelly said Juneteenth celebrations are about more than festivities. It also reflects the lasting impact of racism, especially housing discrimination, which limited Black homeownership and wealth-building across generations, according to the Brookings Institution.
The festival, in its own way, attempts to address material conditions, such as supporting Black-owned vendors, networking, and instilling confidence among the people in the community.
<b>ROOTS Bookstore & Market</b> (1122x1120, AR: 1.0017857142857143)
Small, intimate events include Roots Bookstore & Market, Liberty City’s independent Black-owned bookstore and cultural hub. The third space will mark its one-year anniversary with the inaugural Roots Book Fair on Juneteenth.
The family event will celebrate literacy, culture, and Black tradition with a full day of programming — participants include journalist Bea Hines, historian Dr. Marvin Dunn, surrealist poet and musician Aja Monet, North Miami Commissioner Daniela Jean, and authors Brandon Vega and Phil Agnew of P.S. I Eye Value You.
Roots, over the past year, has become the preeminent gathering place for readers, writers, artists, and families, while helping support the revitalization of Historic NW 15th Avenue.
The Roots event will feature more than 20 local authors and vendors, author readings, book signings, spoken word performances, community talks, and opportunities to support local businesses.
The cultural leaders say the Juneteenth celebrations seek to continue amplifying Black history and civic engagement amid the 250th anniversary of the United States.
“I love to invite everybody from all different walks of life because Black history is American history,” Kelly said. “ So when you come to the sixth annual Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival, not only are you participating in culture, you're participating in pride.”
IF YOU GO:
The Juneteenth Experience | Mainstage Performance Friday, June 19, 2026 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. Miami Beach Bandshell: 7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33141.|Free. For more info
ROOTS Bookstore & Market: Inaugural Roots Book Fair | Friday, June 19, 2026, 1PM – 6PM | Historic NW 15th Avenue, 6610 NW 15th Ave, Miami, FL Admission: Free & Open to the Public. For more info
The Juneteenth Experience
Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 7-9 p.m. African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Fort Lauderdale 2650 Sistrunk Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311| Free
Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival | June 21st, 5-10pm at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach. 104 Datura St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 For more info
(2750x625, AR: 4.4)
Cultural events in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami are focusing on how Black people express their existence as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.
Celebrating history through the arts “helps communicate Black stories more broadly,” said Kunya Rowly, founder and Executive Artistic Director of Hued Songs, a South Florida nonprofit celebrating Black culture through music, dance, spoken word, and short films.
“At its core, art really allows people to make sense of the world, Rowly told WLRN. “And also to see themselves reflected back into the world that we wanna see.”
Juneteenth events are happening across South Florida, including the Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival, June 21 at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach.
Liberty City’s independent Black-owned bookstore, Roots Bookstore & Market, is running its inaugural book fair featuring established authors and community leaders.
And Hued Songs' Juneteenth Experience, June 19 at the Miami Beach Bandshell and June 20 at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale, is putting on a full multidisciplinary theatre performance.
Rowly said the theme of this year's Juneteenth Experience, a concert-theater production, is called "We, Too, Sing America," a line inspired by a poem by Langston Hughes called, “I, Too.”
2025 Hued Songs' Juneteenth Experience (6500x4335, AR: 1.4994232987312572)
READ MORE: Haitian culture’s popularity is rising beyond the FIFA World Cup
Rowly said it’s a reminder that Black history, Black identity, Black music has always been built into the fabric and the tapestry of the United States but often begs the question "who is America and who gets to say so."
“ And so certainly as we look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States, I hope that people walk away with, A, of course experiencing this really incredible, amazing performance,” Rowly said.
“But also being able to be a little inquisitive about how we think about history, who gets to tell it and how we define you know, whose history is told.”
This year's main stage performances include an array of gospel, blues, R&B and classical music, original spoken word, choreography and visual storytelling.
Cast include Clinton Harris, choreographer and dancer; King Friday, musical director; Miriam King, gospel and soul vocalist and writer; Erron Cooper, gospel vocalist; Wilkie Ferguson, III, Broadway performer & vocalist; Eric Nelson, technical and lighting director; Sandi Stock, production stage manager; and Quincy Knowles, sound and projection technician.
He said one way to be inquisitive is to also remind people about Florida’s own emancipation day, which is on May 20th, along with Juneteenth.
“It's not about producing something one year and then not doing it again,” he added. “How do we ensure that constantly every year there's really a steady drumbeat to ensure that we recognize Florida's Emancipation Day, to ensure that we recognize and honor Juneteenth?”
2025 The Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach (1206x802, AR: 1.5037406483790523)
That same sentiment is shared in Palm Beach County. The Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival in West Palm Beach is returning for its sixth run.
“We've created a safe space for all these years for people to walk freely, connect. It's like one big family reunion,” Founder Sukeenah Kelly told WLRN.
The event is put on by her nonprofit Juneteenth of Palm Beach County, and it's a way to establish in-person community through small business vendors, food, and live entertainment.
“So that's why we are calling it a homecoming,” she said.
“We've been saying that from the beginning that it's really a big cousins link-up, and I love that for the community — just to have that space to just be.”
Kelly said Juneteenth celebrations are about more than festivities. It also reflects the lasting impact of racism, especially housing discrimination, which limited Black homeownership and wealth-building across generations, according to the Brookings Institution.
The festival, in its own way, attempts to address material conditions, such as supporting Black-owned vendors, networking, and instilling confidence among the people in the community.
<b>ROOTS Bookstore & Market</b> (1122x1120, AR: 1.0017857142857143)
Small, intimate events include Roots Bookstore & Market, Liberty City’s independent Black-owned bookstore and cultural hub. The third space will mark its one-year anniversary with the inaugural Roots Book Fair on Juneteenth.
The family event will celebrate literacy, culture, and Black tradition with a full day of programming — participants include journalist Bea Hines, historian Dr. Marvin Dunn, surrealist poet and musician Aja Monet, North Miami Commissioner Daniela Jean, and authors Brandon Vega and Phil Agnew of P.S. I Eye Value You.
Roots, over the past year, has become the preeminent gathering place for readers, writers, artists, and families, while helping support the revitalization of Historic NW 15th Avenue.
The Roots event will feature more than 20 local authors and vendors, author readings, book signings, spoken word performances, community talks, and opportunities to support local businesses.
The cultural leaders say the Juneteenth celebrations seek to continue amplifying Black history and civic engagement amid the 250th anniversary of the United States.
“I love to invite everybody from all different walks of life because Black history is American history,” Kelly said. “ So when you come to the sixth annual Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival, not only are you participating in culture, you're participating in pride.”
IF YOU GO:
The Juneteenth Experience | Mainstage Performance Friday, June 19, 2026 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. Miami Beach Bandshell: 7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33141.|Free. For more info
ROOTS Bookstore & Market: Inaugural Roots Book Fair | Friday, June 19, 2026, 1PM – 6PM | Historic NW 15th Avenue, 6610 NW 15th Ave, Miami, FL Admission: Free & Open to the Public. For more info
The Juneteenth Experience
Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 7-9 p.m. African American Research Library and Cultural Center, Fort Lauderdale 2650 Sistrunk Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311| Free
Juneteenth Unity and Black Excellence Festival | June 21st, 5-10pm at the Meyer Amphitheater in West Palm Beach. 104 Datura St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 For more info
(2750x625, AR: 4.4)