Leadership / 06.21.23

Live Nation Urban Celebrating Black Culture with Juneteenth, Afro Pride Events

Access Staff

Pollstar (06/16/23) Areliz, Oscar

Live Nation Urban is hosting novel events celebrating Black culture, starting with Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The event included artists like Charlie Wilson, Nelly, Miguel, Jodeci, Davido and Chloe Bailey; it was broadcast live on CNN and the Oprah Winfrey Network. The event also showcased the art of dance and honored states including Texas and Oklahoma, which celebrated Juneteenth long before it was recognized as a national holiday. “Our tagline from last year was exposure, education and action,” says Live Nation Urban's Malcolm Gray. “We want to inspire people to take action and not only learn more about Juneteenth but see how they can help the issues that have plagued Black Americans and Brown Americans in this country afterward. Use that knowledge and inspiration, positive feelings and channel that into something that gives back to the world.” Another important summer event is next month's inaugural Afro Pride weekend in Los Angeles, which is curated by the Black queer community. “It taps into that Black alternative space that's also very youthful, bringing it from the underground to a full day of performances from different types of artists, all Black femme and queer,” says James June, Live Nation Urban's creative and digital manager. “It's just a beautiful experience to be around femmes and queers having a good time.”

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Tags: Leadership , Juneteenth