5th Annual Juneteenth Public Performances

JUN 16—19, 2025

“There is no better way for Americans to celebrate Juneteenth than by experiencing Black art.”

This annual project commemorates our newest national holiday with a series of free, open-to-the-public performances commissioned by The Flea and curated by Artistic Director, Niegel Smith. Happening all over New York City, each performance is a “blink-and-you’ll-miss it” experience of watching an artist in relationship with their environment. The art - wherever it occurs - will take you on a journey of Black liberation through joy, hope, queerness, and resistance.

SCHEDULE

Monday, June 16th | 6:30pm Doors open, 7:00pm Start
The Juneteenth Public Performance Symposium
The Flea, 20 Thomas Street
The Flea’s 2025 Juneteenth Public Performance commissioned artists - Helga Davis, Ayana Evans, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Artistic Director Niegel Smith - join moderator Kaneza Schaal to offer insight into each artist’s unique response to the prompt of Juneteenth for their creative work. Hear about the creative process, the intersection of performance and public life, and all the ways liberation can play out street by street in our beautiful city.
Duration: 90-120 minutes. Free for all, but RSVP is required.

RSVP

Wednesday, June 18th | 12:00pm and 2:00pm
The Worthy
African Burial Ground Monument, corner of Duane and Elk Streets
In this walk that transcends time and location, follow the afro-futuristic griot, Niegel Smith as he leads all who will follow on a walk exploring Lower Manhattan through the lens of liberation, Black love, queer joy, and community healing. Co-led by Talu Green with his commanding Djembe drum, The Worthy takes you through ancestral monuments, past civic buildings, and down the streets of Tribeca. Through contemplation, ritual, and poetry, the worth of Black and queer folks are considered. The Worthy concludes at The Flea (20 Thomas Street) with an interactive video installation, and then invites you to celebrate and reflect over liberation libations on a private patio. There you will meet the artists, learn more about the work, and commune with your fellow travelers.
Duration: 70 minutes. Free for all, but RSVP required.

12:00pm

2:00pm

Wednesday, June 18th | 5:00pm and 7:00pm
Reparations and Restoration
The Plaza at 300 Ashland, 10 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn
Hosted by MoCADA and Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, performance artist Ayana Evans presents an immersive experience through dance, joy, and Black liberation actions. The work features four dancers and includes elements that invite the crowd to watch, dance, sing, and celebrate the full meaning of Juneteenth. Gifts will be given freely…because reparations are in order.
Duration: 60 minutes

Thursday, June 19th | 11:30am and 12:15pm
Breadth of Emancipation
Rubin & Chapelle Storefront Window, 964 Madison Avenue
The iconic Helga Davis will create an impromptu, improvisational score, using “The Star Spangled Banner,” a looping device, and text from President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Come hear a brand new song, never to be sung again.
Duration: 30 minutes

Thursday, June 19th | 7:30pm
The Tune Up
David Rubenstein Atrium, 1887 Broadway
SLP & The Joyful Noise, a nine-piece band led by the Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist Suzan-Lori Parks, serves as her musical workshop for original songwriting and new storytelling. The Tune Up, directed by Artistic Director Niegel Smith, puts SLP & The Joyful Noise center stage for a program that blends short plays, American music, and high-voltage performance. This is a sip-your-drink, make-new-friends, dance-in-the-aisles kind of evening that traffics in big sounds and bold ideas, booty-shaking, and statement-making. Surrounded by songs, celebrated guests, and exceptional newcomers, Parks reminds us of the importance and joy in remembering who we are! Duration: 60 minutes