For some of us, celebrating Juneteenth as the 4th of July or Christmas. Others of us knew nothing of the sacred holiday until later in life. Whichever group you might fall into, we can all agree that this year hits different and the need to celebrate Black freedom is as necessary as our next breath.
In this special episode, Yes, Girl! hosts Cori Murray and Charli Penn share their experience with the holiday and reminisce on some beautiful conversations with other Black creators including VICE News correspondent Alzo Slade; gospel music pioneer couple Kirk and Tammy Franklin; activist, abolitionist and Insecure actor Kendrick Sampson; and the director of Miss Juneteenth, Channing Godfrey Peoples.
Get into this episode to hear more on:
…THE ROOTS OF THE HOLIDAY
“I know a lot of people in California who don’t celebrate Juneteenth and know what it was. Short version. It’s the last slaves that found out they were free in Galveston, Texas about 30 minutes outside of where I grew up. And two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. And we celebrate that, especially in Texas, but it’s like the July 4 for Black folks.” —Kendrick Sampson
…HOW THE NATION IS CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH
“It’s not surprising that the nation has taken hold of Juneteenth, from how Texas celebrates it to taking it on a grander scale, but it is pretty peculiar.” —Alzo Slade, Vice News correspondent
…THE BITTERSWEETNESS OF CELEBRATION IN 2020
“The climate is very difficult to celebrate in right now. When you talk about freedom, exactly what does that look? How do we quantify that right now? And so because of those difficult truths, your boy maybe with a mask on with some other brothers and sisters, and we standing and marching in unity about once again, we can’t breathe.” —Kirk Franklin
…THE MAKING OF MISS JUNETEENTH
“That’s what even in casting I told people, I said, it’s a small film that we’re doing with big things, but I’m absolutely making a film about real folks. So, we’ve got to be able to fold into that. I see the beauty of first of all, Black people and especially, we talked about the regal nature of these Black folks in the South, and that’s what I want to be able to display even down to the women and their hair.” —Channing Godfrey Peoples
Listen to the full Juneteenth episode on Apple, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts!
Happy Juneteenth!