The Kansas City Kansas Community College Cultural Enrichment Center is hosting its Juneteenth Celebration from 11:30 am. to 2 p.m. June 19 in lower-level Jewell on the KCKCC Main Campus. The event is free and open to students, faculty, staff and community members.
Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of African American slaves. It was first celebrated on June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated slaves in the United States. That is when Union troops finally arrived in Galveston, Texas with news of freedom. It was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021.
The event will feature cultural performances, food and other activities for attendees of all ages. Among the activities are the Black National Anthem, performed by Dr. Shawn Derritt and a gospel performance by the KCKCC music program. Additional performances include LeShea and The Fellas, who are known primarily for their R&B and Neo-Soul hits and Joseph Straws III, popularly known as DJ Joe and winner of the Kansas City People’s Choice Award in 2024. Both LeShea Wright and Straws are graduates of KCKCC.
Kamiasha Moses Tyner, a genealogist, family historian and family reunion coordinator, will serve as the guest speaker. Born in Kansas City, she considers herself to have an inherited gift of genealogy. While most historians or genealogists focus on the research side, she is a little different, asking the question ‘what's the point in knowing all about the people that lived in the 1800s, then not knowing that you went to school with your blood cousins?’ Not only does she dive deep into her own family history, but she takes pride in helping others experience the type of joy and fulfillment that she has found through research with Dignified Descendants LLC.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Valdenia Winn, professor of history and political science at KCKCC. A graduate of Washington High School and KCKCC, Winn earned a bachelor of science in secondary education, a master’s degree in history and a doctorate in history/international relations from the University of Kansas. She has conducted research at the Harry S Truman Presidential Library in Independence as well as the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, N.Y., researching files that concern African Americans in the military and Anglo-American diplomatic relations in the Caribbean during World War II. Currently, she is conducting research at the Central Plains Division of the National Archives and the Kansas State Historical Society, researching files concerning the First Kansas Colored Voluntary Regiment, Civil War and post-Civil War eras and the Freedmen’s Bureau files. She is also writing a brief biography of Chester Owens, the legendary civil rights icon of Kansas City, Kan.
More information on KCKCC’s Juneteenth event can be found by visiting the website. Registration for the event can be completed here.