Black folks came out for a get-together at the Bidenβs House Tuesday evening to celebrate Juneteenth with hugs, high fives, history, great music (of course), and a parade of summer fashion dos and donβts.
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Guests were greeted with a mini battle of the bands between Tennessee and Morgan State Universities.
βThis is some Black stuff right here on the White House lawn,β Method Man announced as Tennessee State played βOutstandingβ by the Gap Band.
βJuneteenth means to me that a lot of people on the other side still gotta lot of work to do,β The Power Book II: Ghost star told The Root. βAnd the fact that a lot of our people didnβt know they were free, speaks volumes.β
Guests also relished performers such as Ledisi and Jennifer Hudson as well as sightings on the lawn from Erika Alexander (Maxine on Living Single), an activist on issues such as missing women and fair wages who is behind documentaries Good Trouble on the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis and Reparations.
Vice President Kamala Harris opened the program noting that βBlack history is American history,β decrying challenges to suppress it and introducing the βgrandmother of Juneteenth,β Opal Lee, who fought for the federal holiday. After discussing the importance of Juneteenth, the 96-year-old retired teacher created a stir by warning everyone to do something about climate change, or βweβre going to hell in a handbasket.β
Other highlights on stage included Audra McDonaldβs soaring rendition of βSummertime,β Ledisiβs tribute to Tina Turner with Al Greenβs βLetβs Stay Together,β Jennifer Hudsonβs take on Sam Cookeβs βA Change Is Gonna Comeβ finished off with a little of John Legend and Commonβs βGlory,β the rapid-fire precision of Step Afrika! and some church from Broadway Inspirational Voices, whose βPrecious Lordβ drew βAmensβ from members of the Fisk Jubilee Singers relaxing under a tree on the lawn after doing their thing on stage.
First Daughter Ashley Biden introduced her father, and the crowd rose to greet him. βMaking Juneteenth a federal holiday wasnβt just a symbolic gesture,β President Biden said. βIt was a statement of fact for this country to acknowledge the origin of β original sin of slavery.β
βCβmon Preacher Joe,β a man shouted when President Biden, who sometimes quotes lyrics from βI Donβt Feel No Ways Tiredβ by James Cleveland, said he didnβt think βthe good Lord brought us this far to leave us behind.β
After it was over, another man commented that if Biden has a barbecue next time, he just might get to stay in the White House.
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