Black Alliance & Social Empowerment (BASE) produced performance on OSF Green Show stage
By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news
The sounds of drum beats were met with cheers and applause at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s outdoor stage Wednesday evening as jubilant performances by area students helped kick off the Juneteenth celebration with fanfare at the Green Show.
Dozens of attendees filled the lawn and nearby bricks to watch more than one dozen performances paying homage to those who came before. Juneteenth, which became a federally recognized holiday in 2021, celebrates the day on June 19, 1865, when U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, and announced that enslaved people were free.
“This is an historic moment,” said Vance Beach, executive director of Black Alliance & Social Empowerment (BASE).
“It’s so beautiful and special,” Beach added. “It’s something that all of us in this entire country should celebrate and recognize because it’s all of our history. This day symbolizes true freedom, true independence.”
The event is the first to be held by BASE in conjunction with OSF, though not the first Juneteenth event hosted by BASE (the third annual Juneteenth celebration took place in Medford on June 15).
“Juneteenth is a symbol of everyone’s true freedom in the country because it was over two years where folks still in this country had no idea about that emancipation proclamation and they were still being enslaved,” Beach said.
BASE is headquartered out of Medford and was created in 2019 after a small group of Black individuals attended a Black youth summit in Ashland. The organization seeks to create a “space that thrives in its Blackness, powered by the imagination of its people, leveraging technology, and bringing community to Black people throughout the Rogue Valley and beyond.”
Among the performances Wednesday were poetry readings of “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou by Tatum and “Ruby Showed the way” by Carol Oaks, recited from memory by Kayden Hill; a hip-hop dance group performance to “Gimme Dat” by Ciara; a solo performance by “Black Girl Soldier” by Jamila Woods; a performance duet of “Lift every voice and sing” sung by Asante and Elena; a hip-hop dance to “Jet Blue Jet” by Major Lazer; and “Pure Water,” an instrumental piece. Accompaniment was provided on piano by Lorrie Kaplan (an Ashland.news board member).
Paige Mayes, dance choreographer and program director, welled with pride about the youths who participated in the showcase.
“It builds their self-esteem, it builds their confidence and they’re able to speak about Juneteenth and us being, finally, free,” Mayes told Ashland.news following the performances.
“I think it’s wonderful for our youth to know our history because if they know what happened prior, we can build a grander, more beautiful, peaceful future.”
“We all are our ancestors’ wildest dreams — This is what they dreamed of and these children are our future,” she added. “These are our future governors, our future … community leaders, and for them to give voice to this huge moment in history is profound.”
Pointing out one of the performers nearby following the performances, Mayes praised 7-year-old Kayden Hill, who recited the poem “Ruby Showed the Way,” by Carol Oaks. The poem shares about the bravery of Ruby Bridges, the first Black student to attend a formerly whites-only school in 1954.
Kayden told Ashland.news he wasn’t nervous to recite the poem for the crowd, and Mayes emphasized they had practiced it many times.
“Proud mom moment,” his mom, Kala, told Ashland.news.
“It’s nice to know that he’s making history,” she said.
While the holiday has only recently been recognized as a federal holiday, the day has been celebrated by Black communities all across the country since 1866.
Mayes recalled their own Juneteenth celebrations with their family members over the years as they were growing up.
Her family would cook up greens, yams, baked chicken, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, banana pudding — the good stuff.
“I would always celebrate this holiday with my family and we would cook and reflect on the holiday and what it means to us as a people and how far we’ve come,” Mayes said, “yet how far we have to go.”
Beach shared similar memories.
“You’ll always see usually barbecues, festivals of some sort, performances, people sharing stories, playing cards … it’s truly just a day of celebration,” Beach said. “A day that you’re not feeling tied down and shackled, a day that you can embrace the opportunities that this country offers … the idea of advancement, the idea of thriving.”
Mayes and Beach both spoke about the importance of celebrating Juneteenth as a community now that it is fully recognized as a federal holiday.
“In reality, we were not free on the Fourth of July,” Maye said.
“All the slaves in Texas were still enslaved, yet the others were free and they had no idea.”
Beach also shared his thoughts on bringing the holiday to the forefront of the community.
“Juneteenth … I would think of it as the true July Fourth,” Beach said. “It’s the true day of independence for everybody in the country, not just some people.”
“It’s now in the mainstream, people are recognizing it, people are feeling it,” he added. “I love that … look out here, you see the community, there’s so many different people just enjoying it, loving it, and I think that’s beautiful.”
Beach said it took a whole community of people and many parents putting in time and effort to be there at practices … “all for these type of moments.”
“This was a phenomenal opportunity, a platform for our kids … we thank OSF,” Beach added.
Reach Ashland.news reporter Holly Dillemuth at hollyd@ashland.news.
Related story: ‘Pride and joy in my heart’: SOU ceremony celebrates Juneteenth (June 12, 2024)
