Shannon Mitchell’s All About Us Festival brings Black community together to honor Juneteenth and celebrate culture

On June 19, 1865 — two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed thousands of enslaved Black Americans in other states — a group of Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army informed over 250,000 enslaved people that they were officially free. This momentous day commemorates their celebration of liberation and the promise that the United States would no longer tolerate an immoral practice or viewpoint towards Black Americans.

Usually passed down through generations within the Black community, the history behind Juneteenth was not widely known or recognized for many years. It wasn’t until almost two centuries later, in 2021, that the day became a federal holiday. Now, more Black families can educate themselves more about Juneteenth and celebrate with loved ones while honoring their ancestors’ sacrifices. Since it became nationally recognized, people all over the country have created grand events to unify the community and amplify Black joy, including Shannon Mitchell, the chief executive director of the nonprofit organization No Youth Wasted.

Mitchell is the co-founder of the All About Us Festival. The annual event honors the end of slavery in the United States and empowers community members to live freely and build a generational legacy. For the festival’s second year, Mitchell partnered with the National Juneteenth Museum and Dr. Opal Lee, an activist who has fiercely advocated for the holiday to be nationally recognized. Together, they celebrated the national holiday in New Jersey with musical performances, great food, community and family-friendly games and activities.

As the team gears up for All About Us Festival 2025, REVOLT spoke with Mitchell, as well as with 2024 event headliner and Billboard Music Award winner Crystal Waters. They discussed the festivities, how they celebrate the holiday with their families, their future plans and more. Check out the exclusive interview below.

What inspired you to create the All About Us Festival?

Mitchell: With Juneteenth being a newly federal holiday, I felt it was very important to bring folks together to celebrate the culture and community. I envision Juneteenth being celebrated like July Fourth. It’s a holiday that all folks should be able to understand because it’s about freedom.

What was your relationship with Juneteenth growing up, and how do you feel about it now that it is finally a recognized national holiday?

Mitchell: I was actually privileged to know about Juneteenth as I was growing up. In my home, my grandmother and mother explained to me what [the holiday] was and what it meant. It wasn’t a huge push to get the word out about what Juneteenth was before. But now, it’s incredible that it became a federal holiday a couple of years ago.

Waters: Growing up, I don’t think I knew anything about Juneteenth. I don’t think I was aware of it until I got to Howard University. I knew the concept behind it but didn’t know why people were celebrating it. I remember just last year, one of my friends said, “I got to get off the phone. We’re getting ready to celebrate. I’m cooking, and we’ve got the family coming over.” So, I had never heard of it or experienced people actually celebrating it. Now that it’s a federal holiday and I got invited to do this event, I was like, “Wow, they really gave us a day off.”

I remember getting to the event and seeing people in the lawn chairs; it felt like a big barbecue. I will say I’m still a little salty about how it all came about. So, I still kind of struggle with that, but I’m glad that it’s being recognized and actually celebrated.

Tell us more about the partnership with the National Juneteenth Museum and connecting with Dr. Opal Lee.

Mitchell: Going into [its] second year, we were thinking of ways to make the event bigger. Based on our research, we reached out to the National Juneteenth Museum. We basically threw a Hail Mary, and luckily, they responded to us. They were super excited about the opportunity to partner [with us] and endorse our event. We were the first event that the National Juneteenth Museum endorsed. Working with Dr. Opal Lee and being able to understand all the work that [she] put into this holiday was such an honor.

What can attendees expect to experience at the All About Us Festival?

Mitchell: This event is more than just a musical festival. It’s about having some education there. We want to be able to educate people about Juneteenth, have Black vendors, iconic musical acts like Crystal, a huge kids zone, craft vendors and all that stuff. There are so many things that people can just come and enjoy the day together to celebrate the holiday.

As one of the musical performances, what was it like for you being at a festival to celebrate Black culture in such a huge way?

Waters: It was great being at the festival. Like I said, it felt like a big family barbecue, like a big reunion. I had a good time. I think everybody enjoyed the show too. Everybody knows house music, so everybody was up for it.

Do you think it’s important for more musical artists to be involved with festivals that celebrate Black culture, such as this one?

Waters: Yeah, I think it’s really important, especially for Juneteenth, because this is so new. You have an opportunity here to take this to bigger and better places. I mean, I never even heard of the [National Juneteenth Museum]. So, it’s an opportunity to be educated, not just for Black people, but for everyone, because there’s a lot that we don’t know about Black history. So, I’m hoping more people will do it, put the education behind it and make it a positive and uplifting experience.

Has the All About Us Festival inspired you to become more involved with other opportunities where we can educate more people about Juneteenth?

Waters: I think it inspired me to start with my family and children. I think that would be a good place to start celebrating it and thinking about it more intensely. So, for that I thank Shannon for waking me up to that. If I see another opportunity to celebrate Black culture, I’ll be a part of it.

How do you plan to expand the All About Us Festival?

Mitchell: I think we have the opportunity to really dive into culture and Black history in general. There are so many things like incorporating Black inventors or HBCUs and showing how important they have been throughout history for Black people.

Outside of the festival, how will you celebrate Juneteenth and Black culture all year round in your personal life?

Mitchell: I feel like it’s my job to pay it forward to the youth. We can get younger people that look just like me. With my nonprofit, No Youth Wasted, our pillars are working with the youth, building them up and empowering them. So, when I think about celebrating Juneteenth, it’s more than the holiday — it’s about inspiring others. There are a bunch of other community events that we will be working on throughout the year, and All About Us is just one of them.