What does Juneteenth mean to you?
For Ms. Della Moore, Juneteenth is a holiday for remembrance, reflection and living into BIPOC joy. Juneteenth, a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans since 2021.
Juneteenth is also know as "Freedom Day", deriving its name from combining June and nineteenth. It is celebrated on the anniversary of the order by Major General Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865.
Ms. Della Moore is curator and champion of The African American Center for Cultural Development in Olean, NY. In this special Juneteenth episode, she tells how she came to love the place and people of Olean, and how she gives her time, energy and imagination into establishing The African American Center for Cultural Development. Della shares how love found her and how she extends love to help others find home and connection.
To make a contribution to The African American Center for Cultural Development, click here.
Join Della and company for a local Juneteenth Celebration/Fundraiser on
Saturday, June 24, 2023 from noon until three o’clock. This is an open invitation to everyone to come join in the fun of a ‘Block Party-like’ celebration - mixing City with Country fare.
There will be great tasting food (until sold out). Our menu includes pulled pork sandwiches; potato salad; hot dogs, burgers, pop, water and, new this year, ribs, barbeque ribs. Oh, Yeah!
We will feature Boom box music (the city part), fun and a bit of education. So bring your lawn chairs and dancing shoes. We even have a couple of raffling items for bid. This will all be taking place at the Bethany Lutheran’s Church yard (6 Leo Moss Drive, Olean).
Wild Goose Festival is a transformational community grounded in faith-inspired social justice. Wherever we come together we learn and grow by co-creating art, music, story, theater, and spectacle, engaging in a wide variety of robust, courageous conversations with each other and with thought leaders and artists from other communities. Listeners of Holy Shenanigans Podcast can use the discount code a-tle24 for a $50 discount off the price of an adult weekend ticket!
Pastor Tara Lamont Eastman is an Ordained Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She was a contributing writer to the Collaborate Lutheran Student Bible and the Connect Sunday School curriculum, published by Sparkhouse.