On Juneteenth (June 19), the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (JCAL), hosted “Juneteenth: In Our Words,” the third in the four-part event series Queens Rising, an annual beacon of cultural celebration, dedicated to illuminating the vibrant tapestry of Queens, New York.
Since its inception in 2022, this performance series has served as a catalyst for unity, bringing together artists, performers, and organizations to showcase the borough’s rich artistic heritage. It acts as a catalyst for collaboration, connecting artists, venues, and businesses to maximize opportunities for arts and culture to flourish in Queens.
JCAL is located at located at 161-4 Jamaica Ave, Queens, NY 11432. Its Executive Director, Leonard Jacobs, said, “JCAL has participated in Queens Rising since its founding. Watching the growth of this remarkable initiative has inspired our dedication to performing arts, visual arts, and arts education here in ‘the world’s borough.’”
“To see Queens Rising now supporting borough-based artists — it’s a tangible recognition of how far and how fast Queens has really risen, and of our extraordinary potential to draw arts patrons from every corner of our city,” he added.
Several local artists who were scheduled to perform were: poet Jasmine Rosario (artist name:JRose), Ikea Williams (Artist name: Keys Will), Byron Frazier (Artist name: Jerome Heka), Christopher Charles (Artist name: Divine Wordsmith) and Yanique Renwick (Artist name: Unique on Purpose).
Rosario, who in the past won the BRIC Brooklyn Grand Slam, is also CEO of The Rose Garden Events. Williams performed in February at the Rose Garden Events Poetry Experience in Brooklyn.
In May 2023, Frazier performed one of his poems at the Voices in Power Poetry Open Mic Experience in Brooklyn. Charles also performed his poem “Therapy Session” during the same event.
Renwick also performed her poem “Redacted Faces” at the Voices in Power Poetry Open Mic Experience in Philadelphia, PA earlier this month.
Shenna Vaughn was expected to provide live paintings and DJ Tam Jams music at the event.
To stay updated on these poets and their performances, those who are interested can follow The Rose Garden Events on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/therosegardenevents/?hl=en.
They can also follow Voices in Power on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/voicesinpower_/.
