Press release from Ashleigh Shanti:
On Friday, June 19, from 5-8pm Benne on Eagle and THE BLOCK off biltmore will co-host a JUNETEENTH celebration of food, music and open mic. On June 19, 1865, known as Juneteenth—a melding of the day’s month and date—the last remaining enslaved people in America were declared free. Juneteenth, America’s “second Independence Day,” is now celebrated around the country. It is officially observed in 47 states and is a state holiday in Texas, home of the last to know. JUNETEENTH, also known as Emancipation Day, is the day all enslaved people were finally freed – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
According to Head Chef Ashleigh Shanti, “I thought of this as a way of doing something special for the community in order to celebrate this momentous day. We are excited that the funds raised from the dinners will support the newly-formed Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice* whose first project is to raise money for Color of Change, that advocates for sick leave and a livable wage for black restaurant workers in the fast food industry, holding prosecutors accountable, and helping people stay connected with loved ones behind bars during the COVID-19 crisis, among many other petitions and causes for racial justice.”
*Southern Restaurants for Racial Justice’s mission statement reads: We are a coalition of bakers, chefs, and restaurant owners joined together to get behind black-led organizations who are actively working to dismantle systemic racism and oppression in our society. And that by establishing a network that raises money monthly, we hope to support this work for many years to come. We are here to support, learn from, work for, and amplify the black voices and black leaders in our communities. We are committed to this work and aim to keep the momentum of this moment alive in our efforts for many years to come.
The plant-based menu will include: carrot dogs, greens, vegan mac-n-cheese, bean pies and hibiscus tea.
Freedom the 10th Wonder will DJ a playlist including old school R&B, Soul, Funk, Gospel, protest songs, conscious hip hop and more. An open mic for those wanting to share their thoughts on JUNETEENTH, racial justice, radical transformation, action steps, and more are invited to take part.
For more on the co-sponsors, please visit Benne on Eagle, www.benneoneagle.com and THE BLOCK off biltmore, www.theblockoffbiltmore.com
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.