Credit: SIERRA LEONE
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
“I’m so excited to have go-go at the Levitt and I think people are going to be really excited about it,” said Lisa Wagner, executive director of Levitt Pavilion Dayton. “I’m really proud of the partnership we have with Sierra Leone and Oral Funk Poetry Productions for our Juneteenth event. In some ways, our Juneteenth event has been the template for what success can look like in other work that we’re doing.”
Leone has curated the Levitt celebration since its inception and relishes new ways of exemplifying Juneteenth through music’s diverse lens.
“Each year we want to bring a different sound because freedom is a unique sound — it’s not sadness,” Leone explained. “We wanted the community to be centered in fun. Right now there is divisiveness that is bold, loud and heavy. So, why not come together and hold a celebration that will allow people to go back in time while still being in the present? And since go-go is a subset of funk, it is in direct alignment with who we are a Daytonians. It’s something we can get behind. It is a sound that’s not comprised. It’s authentic and that’s Dayton. We love originality. We love E.U.”
Timeless tune
Experience Unlimited, better known as E.U., took America by storm during the 1980s and 1990s bolstered by their breakthrough dance hit “Da Butt,” the Grammy-nominated tune featured in Spike Lee’s classic 1988 comedy “School Daze.” Led by Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliott, the group continues to delight audiences with their infectious beats, particularly earning Sugar Bear the LEGEND award from The Chuck Brown Foundation in 2021.
“‘Da Butt’ is just a great party song,” Elliott said. “It’s a song everybody loves whether old people or young people. It’s a monster. People still love it just as much as when they first heard it. It’s the power of music and the power of a hit record.”
Credit: VSDavis
Credit: VSDavis
Looking back on the song’s impact over the past 35 years, he still gets a kick out of Glenn Close’s iconic, hilarious rendition at the 93rd Academy Awards in 2021.
“I remember watching the L.A. Lakers in their playoff game and my phone kept going off,” Elliott recalled. “I wasn’t watching the Oscars. But I caught the part where she actually did the dance and I said ‘Wow!’ And then she said my name. I was done. I couldn’t believe it. People still talk about it to this day. To see people like her embrace the song is like a dream.”
Elliott is “overjoyed” for the opportunity to still tour and is grateful for the invitation to come to Dayton for such a special occasion.
“We’ve been a group for over 40 years and I love what I do,” he said. “The love is still there wherever we go. We still have passion and we aim to please. We’re also live. We’re not a track act, which makes it better. And to come to Dayton for Juneteenth is special. Juneteenth celebrates Black history and E.U. is a part of Black history.”
Dormetria Robinson Thompson, Out of School Time Director for the Omega Community Development Corporation, was immersed in go-go music while growing up in Alexandria, Va. She continues to find E.U.’s legacy impactful and is pleased about the band’s upcoming appearance.
“E.U. and go-go are the heart of D.C. music and culture,” Thompson said. “My heart smiles each time I attend a celebration outside of D.C. and the dance floor is full as folks dance to ‘Da Butt.’ E.U.’s music is still relevant today. For example, I am involved with the Children’s Defense Freedom Schools Movement, and we do a chant called ‘Reading a Book,” which is a chant remixed from E.U.’s ‘Da Butt. Today, the chant ‘Reading a Book’ is done all over the United States in the summer during Freedom Schools. This, too, makes my heart smile, as this is a tribute to E.U. and go-go music.”
Festive fun
The Levitt celebration will also incorporate musicians, drumming, food trucks, and face painting. One unique aspect will be food sculptures created by Derek E. Allen, Chair and Professor of Hospitality Management/Culinary Arts at Sinclair Community College.
“I will be using different types of fruits to carve shapes, animals, flowers, etc.,” Allen said. “One of the fruits I will be using is the watermelon which has been a weaponized stereotype against African Americans for years. Historical pictures depicting such can be found in Black history museums around the United States. However, the watermelon truly symbolizes a taste of freedom. The watermelon can be traced back over 6,000 years to Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, etc. It made its way to the United States and fast-forward to newly emancipated slaves who sold watermelon for profit because it was easy to share crop, and of course, delicious. Therefore, I will be carving some delicious watermelon into some very exciting edible pieces of art, expanding on my ancestor’s ability to sustain this wonderful fruit. What an honor! Things that may be weaponized by some can be turned into beautiful pieces of art by others for all to enjoy.”
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
Interconnected purpose
In assessing the significance of Juneteenth, historian Kweku Larry Franklin Crowe, co-convener of the Dayton Africana Elders Council, acknowledges there is more work to be done to ensure justice domestically and internationally. However, even in the face of adversity, celebration is paramount.
“Juneteenth is an opportunity to recognize the role of our ancestors in overturning government sanctioned slavery,” Crowe said. “But more than that, it is a time to celebrate our public services, organizations, schools, businesses, and advancements in every field as we continue to fight for a fuller, freer and more just country and world.”
Leone hopes the intentionality of the Levitt celebration, built around the theme “Legacy of Freedom,” will be clear in its exploration of what freedom means now.
“Juneteenth is a place of reunion, a coming together of humanity on display for folks to celebrate, enjoy, and most importantly, to learn,” Leone said. “And Juneteenth is not just this time span — it happens all year long. It’s all interconnected within the spirit of celebration.”
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
Additional Juneteenth celebrations across the region:
DAYTON
Wednesday, June 13
African American Visual Artists Guild in conjunction with Karen Brahme, African Archives Specialist of the Dayton Metro Library, celebrate Juneteenth from 6-8:30 p.m. inside the Bassani Theatre of the Main Branch, 215 E. Third St. Join the Guild’s panel of artists from the “What’s New?” traveling exhibit: Andrea Walker Cummings, Cedric McGhee, Clarice Moore, and Nathan Conner.
Friday, June 14
A Juneteenth Speaker Jam will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Dayton Metro Library’s Northwest Branch, 2410 Philadelphia Drive. The event will feature community leaders, discussions and light hors d’oeuvres.
Tuesday, June 18
Sinclair Community College’s Juneteenth Celebration will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Sinclair Conference Center, Building 12, 444 W. Third St.
Spearheaded by Sinclair’s Chief Diversity Officer, Michael Carter, this event will include a free lunch and program. This year’s celebration will feature Timothy Askew, author of “Cultural Hegemony and African American Patriotism: An Analysis of the Song ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’”
To register or more information, visit sinclair.edu/events/article/workshops-conferences-special-events/juneteenth-celebration1.
Wednesday, June 19
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Juneteenth Celebration and Fundraiser will take place from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at The Brightside , 905 E. Third St. Local art inspired by the dancers and their work will be auctioned off. A variety of entertainment and activities are also in store, including performances by DCDC and other local performers along with raffle prizes, a Phat & Rich food truck, a cash bar, and live painting.
Presale $15 tickets are available online at venuepilot.co/events/102509/orders/new#/. Tickets are $20 on the day of the event.
Sunday, June 23
Regal Rhythms Poetry presents Kettering Health’s Juneteenth “A Freedom Celebration” from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Sinclair Community College, Building 12, 444 W Third Street. This free, family-friendly event is hosted by MoPoetry Phillips and will feature performances by: jazz renaissance band, SoL; Bi-Okoto African Dancers, songstress Shree Phillips; spoken word performances by A Slate, Gifted, Zeda Stew, and Victoria Pepperoni; and special guest, Michael Carter. Refreshments are included.
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
HUBER HEIGHTS
Sunday, June 16
The City of Huber Heights’ Culture and Diversity Citizen Action Commission (HHCDCAC) will host the third annual Juneteenth Music Festival at the Eichelberger Amphitheater from 4-9 p.m. Parking and admission into the festival is free. Local musical acts and many Black-owned food truck proprietors and retail vendors will be on hand.
Community members will have a unique opportunity to hear some of the Dayton area’s best musical acts, with Gemstone as the headliner. Additional talent will include Ric Sexton and Friends, Luther Suede, Rhonda Sumlin, and DJ Oscar.
Food trucks will be present during the entire festival and include Norman’s Bakery, First Bite Catering, Diamond Daiquiris, and Courtlands BBQ. Retail vendors are expected to include Cakez by Da Pound, My Chocolate Company, Razor Sharp Salon & Barbershop, Chozen, Razor Sharp Moving and Service, Nae’s Treats, Bout That Light LLC, KC Jewels, ABWA Polaris Huber Heights, Adeaze’ Custom Designs, Homework Café, Kandles by Ki, and the City of Huber Heights Parks and Recreation department.
Community members are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets. The Eichelberger Amphitheater is located at 8625 Brandt Pike.
KETTERING
Tuesday, June 18
Rosewood Arts Center, 2655 Olson Drive, is hosting a film screening, speakers and art activities in conjunction with the Fraze Juneteenth Festival the following day. The evening, slated from 5-8 p.m. is themed on creativity and freedom, particularly focusing on the works of author Nikki Giovanni.
For more information, visit playkettering.org/event/juneteenth-celebrating-freedom-in-kettering/.
Wednesday, June 19
Juneteenth in Kettering will be held from 5-8 p.m. at Fraze Pavilion, 695 Lincoln Park Blvd. The free, family-friendly event will feature live music from Luv Locz Experiment, food trucks, local vendors, crafts for children and more.
For more information, call 937-296-3302 or visit fraze.com.
SPRINGBORO
Wednesday, June 19 and Saturday, June 22
Springboro’s fourth annual commemoration of Juneteenth will begin Wednesday with a community blood drive hosted by the Solvita Blood Center as well as a community symposium presented by Michael Carter and Sinclair Community College at Southwest Church, 150 Remick Blvd. There will also be a Juneteenth party and live music event on Saturday featuring performances, local vendors, food trucks, giveaways and more from 12-7 p.m. at North Park Amphitheater, 195 Tamarack Trail.
For more information, visit springborojuneteenth.com.
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
Credit: SIERRA LEONE
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