On Saturday, Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival celebrates its fourth annual festival. The free event will again honour South Los Angeles’ Black community through art, music, food, and education—some things we need to be the best versions of ourselves.
Rotation, the Hip-Hop/R&B brand from Amazon Music, is excited to support the mission of Still Rising Corporation by curating ‘Live on Leimert’, the festival’s main stage. Coinciding with the third anniversary of the launch of Rotation, the lineup for the stage honours the next generation of Hip-Hop/R&B artists, including Buddy, Masego, and Smino. This collaboration is just the latest effort of “Credit The Culture”, the ongoing celebration of Black Music Month from Rotation and Amazon Music. Throughout June, Amazon Music will release new Amazon Originals from artists like Coco Jones, BLEU, and more; debut new playlists serving up music across Hip-Hop, Afrobeats, and R&B; and livestream some of the most important events happening during Black Music Month.
DJ Qwesscoast, one of the event organisers, added, The Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival is the largest event in the history of the area, celebrating all things that elevate Black culture.
Leimert Park Rising is special. Every Juneteenth, the festival has been an essential celebration of Black freedom and the culture that has grown from it, said Tim Hinshaw, Head of Hip-Hop and R&B for Amazon Music. In the spirit of Black Music Month, Rotation is honored and humbled to be a part of this annual celebration, and we hope that the stage we’ve curated with the festival helps bring together the Leimert Park community.
I’m proud to support this year’s festival, said Herb Wesson, Councilman for City District 10 and the 2nd African American to ever serve as Speaker of the California State Assembly. Juneteenth is not only a day of celebration for freedom and emancipation but a day of pride for so many communities. It’s time to reflect and re-dedicate ourselves to action.
Every year since June 19, 1865, the Black community has come together in the spirit of freedom—a freedom that still prevails despite systemic threats to existence. Forty years ago, Robert Leonard began the tradition of Juneteenth in Leimert Park Village, which has been celebrated in varying ways in the years since. In 2018, a few dedicated creatives came together to put on the first-ever Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival. True to the essence of Leimert Park, this event continues to celebrate Black freedom by honouring the ancestors and our community through art, music, food, and education and has continued to be a cornerstone of the community.
Suppose you aren’t familiar with Juneteenth, no fret. We’ve got you covered. Here’s News 12 Brooklyn’s latest article with an in-depth explanation. It reads well.