Juneteenth and Jazz Community Celebration
Saturday, June 21, 2025
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth at the Eiteljorg with live jazz performances, cultural presentations and FREE admission for all. Also enjoy nearby celebrations: Indy Juneteenth at Military Park and Juneteenth Celebration: History, Health and the Arts at the Indiana State Museum.
Juneteenth: A Brief History
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure all enslaved people were freed. As the news spread, so too did the celebrations – Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day, was born. Today, people across the country celebrate with barbecues, parades, prayers services, music, and more.
In 2021, the US Federal Government acknowledged Juneteenth as a national holiday
The Eiteljorg Celebrates Juneteenth
In honor of the 150th anniversary, the Eiteljorg hosted its first Juneteenth celebration in 2015 with community partners, performances, food, art, and free museum admission. That event was so popular, we decided to make it an annual tradition!
Juneteenth & Jazz: Celebrating Freedom
Performances will be held outside under The Sails, weather permitting. Enjoy family activities throughout the day. No ticket reservation required.
Schedule of Performances
10:00 a.m. – Welcome & jus Will spoken word
11:00 a.m. – Cassius Goens Quartet Band
12:00 p.m. – DJiSM
2:00 p.m. – Shonda Buchanan poetry reading & book signing
3:20 p.m. – SITEAW Drum Circle
4:00 p.m. – Rob Dixon Quartet
Support Black-Owned Businesses
Food & Drink
Beauty / Skin Care / Health
Professional Services
A big thanks to Tammy L. Cooper for partnering with us on this event.
About Tammy:
Tammy L. Cooper is a native of Indianapolis Indiana, where she was born and raised. She is a graduate of Wilberforce University with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Organizational Management and a Master’s of Science in Business Management with a focus in Strategic Management from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Business Administration at Indiana Wesleyan University. Tammy will complete all candidacy requirements in May 2022.
Tammy is a community advocate, influencer and a college professor. She is the founder and Executive Director of the Girl Get It Together Movement, which is an educational workshop series designed to empower, inspire and transform the lives of women and teenage girls. She specializes in personal and professional development workshops.
Tammy is an active volunteer in the Indianapolis community and she enjoys teaching black history 365 days per year. Tammy is the Program Director of the Sankofa Movement group, which teaches black history in the form of live performances that portray famous African American men and women. Tammy also has a Sankofa Black History collection that is offered for display at local events, schools or churches.
Tammy is passionate about education and community engagement. Her passion is teaching and working to transform the lives of others. She enjoys photography, traveling and spending quality time with her family.
Additional Resources
Books by Black Authors
- In the Language of My Captor by Shane McCrae
- The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
- Zeely by Virginia Hamilton
- On the Bus with Rosa Parks by Rita Dove
- To ‘Joy My Freedom: southern Black
- Lives and Labors after the Civil War
- The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes
- Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Cane by Jean Toomer
- This Is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson (Children’s books)
Movies by Black Filmmakers
- I Am Not Your Negro
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Da 5 Bloods
- Do The Right Thing
- 12 Years A Slave
- 13th
Virtual Panel Discussion: The History and Significance of Juneteenth
Watch 2021 virtual panel on Juneteenth