In celebration of Juneteenth, thousands gathered on Minnehaha Avenue and Lake Street for the Soul of the Southside Festival. The goal of the festival was to create space centered around Blackness, kinship, and community, according to the Black-owned creative hub, The Legacy Building. The event brought south Minneapolis into the limelight by exhibiting its Black creativity, entrepreneurship, togetherness, and persistence.

The festival was a collaboration between various businesses based in south Minneapolis. Hook and Ladder Theater, Moon Palace Books, Arbeiter Brewing and the historic Coliseum building hosted events throughout the day, boasting a bit of everything from live music and a film screening to an art exhibition and children’s face painting. The event also spotlighted radio stations KRSM and KFAI, who both highlighted classics through local deejays.

Juneteenth is an annual holiday recognizing the end of slavery in the United States. Although President Abraham Lincoln made the Jan. 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, which ended centuries of enslavement of Black people in the Confederate southern states, it wasn’t until two years later, on June 19, 1965, that the last enslaved people were freed. Juneteenth marks the day Major Gen. Gordan Granger marched into Galveston, Texas, with 2,000 soldiers and announced that all slaves were free through General Order No. 3.

The following year, a group of formerly enslaved people celebrated the decree on the first anniversary. Since then, Juneteenth has gained more significance. In 2021, it became a federally-recognized holiday.

The celebrations included the official reopening of the Coliseum, the iconic building on Lake Street, which was damaged by fire during the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery had an expansive display on the 1st floor of the building, recalling the struggle for Black liberation in Minnesota from the 19th century up until the 1960s. On the 2nd Floor, attendees were encouraged to view their bodies and cultural knowledge as a tool to dismantle systemic racism through various events like a drum circle and a body reclamation session.

“The first thing that people who want to colonize you gotta do is control your food source,” said Chef Lachelle Cunningham, who led a class about ancestral food waves. “If we want to be free, then we have to have control over our food, so that has to do with where our food comes from, knowing that, having some control over that, growing our food [and] sourcing it. A lot of our culture is in our food and how we do things, and so if we lose connection to that culture, a lot of times we lose connection to our food and the importance of that and what is good for our bodies.”

A section of the 1^st floor paid homage to victims of police brutality, featuring spray painted portraits of Floyd and Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old shot and killed by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio.

“Nobody can ever shut us down,” said LaToya White, a vendor and the owner of Angels Delightful Creations. “We [are] ten toes down. We’re not going to let one thing impact us and let anyone take from us because we’ve been taking from our entire lives, our ancestors and everything. So this is time for us to rise up. Having it at this location [lets] them know that we are here and we’re here to stay.”

A block away from the Coliseum, food trucks lined the barricaded stretch of Minnehaha Avenue. Several lines of over 50 people waited for samosas, tacos and smoked meats. As old friends hugged and convened along the bustling road, jazzy melodies played through a street performer’s saxophone.

The Hook and Ladder, in partnership with Black Music America, had live performances throughout the day. A younger crowd filled the outdoor Black Music America stage space to hear performances from Twin Cities-based artists like sibling band NUNNABOVE. Audience members could head inside the lushly decorated building to get drinks from the bar or check out the Legacy Stage to see other acts.

For a quieter and more serene environment, attendees could head to Moon Palace Books, an independent bookstore that held storytelling for children earlier in the day and later featured a film screening of “One Million Experiments”, which explores the possibility of a safe society without police or a prison system. In the bookstore parking lot, Black-owned business vendors sold pastries, dashikis, tarot decks, plants and more.

Next door, Arbeiter Brewing hosted an all-day beer garden, with an art fair featuring local visual artists — some actively working on pieces through the fair.

“We have to keep the story alive,” said Cunningham. “I think there’s an opportunity to continue to keep the historical story alive, but also for people to continue to tell their stories through these types of events and opportunities and show resilience. I think it’s really about the resilience of our people, from our enslaved ancestors to those who came after the civil rights movement to those who are still fighting in the civil rights movement; it’s connecting those future generations.”

About Kwot Anwey

Kwot Anwey is a reporting intern with Mshale and majors in journalism at Boston University.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Workers at a premiere Minneapolis restaurant, Kim’s, voted to unionize on Thursday, despite some pushback from owner and award-winning chef Ann Kim.

A majority of workers —  65% — voted “yes” to join Unite Here Local 17, Minnesota’s hospitality and craft beverage workers union.

Workers signed a petition in favor of unionizing in late May, saying they struggled with wages and scheduling. Kim pushed back and said the move wasn’t necessary.

Theo Hofrenning spoke to WCCO about why he unionized.

“Wages is one thing, but stability in terms of scheduling is another,” Hofrenning said. “We are a no tip restaurant and that also affects people in the front of house and back of house, because if we aren’t earning tips, it can be hard.”

He makes $26 an hour and says when on-call shifts are canceled it directly impacts his family. He said he believes a union would give him more control over the conditions at work and will allow him to be part of the decision-making process.

“From the beginning, our goal has always been to give our team members the opportunity to participate in a fair election and cast their own vote. It was important to me that everyone’s voice was heard. I respect the election results and look forward to working with the team as we move into the future,” Ann Kim said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the restaurant was vandalized when someone threw a large cement slab and a paint can through the window.

The union issued a statement on the vandalism, saying, in part that the “city and community face many challenges and these occurrences are all too common.”

The union also encouraged Minneapolis residents to continue to support the restaurant. 

Kim recently rebranded the restaurant on West 31st Street from Sooki and Mimi and transformed it into a new restaurant, simply called Kim’s. The dishes are based on her Korean-American journey.

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, the most prominent African American family organization, is pleased to announce its 46^th National Convention, July 23 through July 28, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The theme is “Celebrating A Masterpiece of Life, Love, Leadership, & Legacy.”

Jack and Jill of America, Inc. holds biennial national conventions. The 2024 National Convention will present signature events, honor Jack and Jill’s notable alumni, and provide engaging opportunities with the organization’s partners. Key events include a teen leadership summit, community health fair, national legislative luncheon, programming luncheon, sports-themed family night, special closing gala, and pre-national convention memorial luncheon – “Advocating For Justice, Inspiring Change: Remembering the Legacy of George Floyd.” Civil rights activist and attorney Benjamin Crump will be the memorial luncheon keynote speaker. “Your Health, Your Legacy – A Health Fair Empowering You To Make A Difference” is open to the public and will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Tuesday, July 23, 12:30 PM/CDT to 3:00 PM/CDT.

Featured 46^th National Convention entertainers and special guests include iconic drummer and percussionist Shelia E., DJ Vince Adams, pioneering music group Bell Biv DeVoe, musicians Gritz and Jelly Butter, gospel recording artist Tramaine Hawkins, and actor Jay Ellis.

“We are so very grateful for this opportunity to bring our Jack and Jill Families together for our 46^th National Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” said National President Kornisha McGill Brown. “This convention promises to be a memorable gathering where we will celebrate our rich history, strengthen our bonds, and chart a course for the future of our organization.”

For additional details, please see the comprehensive 46^th National Convention press release.

ABOUT JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INC.

Jack and Jill of America, Inc. was founded in 1938 to nurture future African American leaders by stimulating the growth and development of children through educational, cultural, civic, recreational, health and social programs inspired by mothers. Through its 262 chapters organized in seven regions across the United States, Jack and Jill is considered the largest African American family organization in the nation representing 70,000 family members which includes, mother members, fathers, and children ages two through 19. For more information about Jack and Jill of America, Inc. please visit jackandjillinc.org or @jackandjillinc on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, or LinkedIn: Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

Media Contact:
Candace Moore
[email protected]

SOURCE Jack and Jill of America, Inc.