Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca Governments will host a week of programming celebrating Juneteenth and Black liberation. Members of the public are invited to participate in several virtual events. County and City employees are encouraged to participate in each event and will gather for an employee lunch featuring Black-owned small businesses showcasing the Diaspora through cuisine.
Members of the public are invited to join City and County staff at the following virtual events:
Juneteenth and Black Lives Matter: An Africana Studies Perspective
Monday, June 14, 2021 – 5:30pm-7pm
Dr. Scot Brown will discuss the Juneteenth holiday in the context of historic and contemporary struggles for Black liberation. The talk frames renewed interest in the Juneteenth holiday as a rich opportunity for deep and meaningful engagements with expansive conceptions of freedom. Through the prism of the Juneteenth story, the Black Lives Matter concept has deep implications for local and global social justice movements.
Register to Participate via Zoom: https://tompkinscountyny-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqdemhrTojHNzG6UiqlqErw8CDuBXSGI6n,
Watch Live or any time on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lQYdLckfmsU
Screening & Q&A, “Civil Warriors” Documentary Film (in 2 parts)
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 – 12pm-1pm & Thursday June 17, 2021 – 10am-11am
CIVIL WARRIORS is a feature film about the experiences of two black families from upstate New York -- fathers and sons who enlisted in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and fought in the American Civil War. Their compelling true story unfolds through a unique interweaving of historical images with the rhythm and energy of spoken word performance. Contemporary narration guides us and provides historical context as the story unfolds.
Q&A with the film’s narrator, Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell will occur following each part showing.
Tuesday Video (Part 1) Screening Link (12pm): https://youtu.be/YIUDaRSHjeA
Tuesday Q&A Registration Link (12:40pm): https://tompkinscountyny-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwodOmorT8vGdIpEuYx7ijOuOclLmIu5QqC
Thursday Video (Part 2) Screening Link (10am): https://youtu.be/P_kxAKjQPPM
Thursday Q&A Registration Link (10:40am): https://tompkinscountyny-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrdeiuqjstHdx-cSnLmLR7OA5a7MTZ7V8D
Employee Luncheon: Honoring Juneteenth Through Cuisine
Friday, June 18, 2021 – 11am–2pm
City and County employees are invited to experience the history of Black liberation through local cuisine. This informal event will provide employees an opportunity to ask questions about the impact of cuisine on the Black liberation experience and engage in conversation with colleagues. Vegan and vegetarian options will be provided.
All employees are encouraged to attend. Please RSVP to Rachel Graham at rgraham@tompkins-co.org by Wednesday, June 16, if possible, but employees are welcome to attend without a reservation.
A Juneteenth Play
Friday, June 18, 2021 – 6pm-7:30pm
County and City staff and volunteers will perform a reading of “A Juneteenth Play” prepared by County Historian Carol Kammen and Legislature Chairwoman Leslyn McBean-Clairborne. The play takes place in 1865 around the events of the Galveston, Texas announcement of emancipation that led to the Juneteenth celebrations that we continue today.
Zoom Registration Link: https://tompkinscountyny-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwucu-uqTgoHNUljkVL1qeKdb072B-JVC_5