Kuumba Impresario and Imani for Justice, two initiatives out of Reformation Church-Chicago ("Young Barack Obama's sanctuary for community organizing"), have teamed up to promote JUNETEENTH LITERARY & SACRED JAZZ STREET FAIR, June 17-19, on the City's Far South Side, 11310 S. Forest Avenue.
"We are pleased to answer God's call to play a sparking role in organizing what promises to be an important contribution to the hundreds of distinctively African American cultural festivals nationally, a key one among the many Juneteenth celebrations out of Black Chicago particularly" says Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma), Pastor of historic Reformation Church-Chicago.
"The JUNETEENTH LITERARY & SACRED JAZZ STREET FAIR is emergent as a dual arts event showcasing Black authors and books on the one hand as well as engaged Black music makers of Sacred Jazz on the other" observed Rev. Washington (Sangoma).
According to Rev. Washington (Sangoma) JUNETEENTH is also organized to serve as the City-wide cultural expression of the National Black Agenda Consortium-Chicago. "Our goal is to provide a creative production center in support of the broad NBACC plan that addresses Black under-served Chicago's concerns for comprehensive community development in economics, politics, culture, and social services, etc."
"What's more, JUNETEENTH is geared to involve a representative cross-section of major international, national, local, and small press authors and book sellers catering to the Black books market, especially its Africana Studies and faith-based readership" says Rev. Washington (Sangoma).
Rev. Washington (Sangoma) observes "The goal of our book fair is to foster dialogue on current and ongoing critical issues confronting Chicago's Black community of which confronting official city violence under the color of law in our communities and the crises of inner-city education are but the iceberg tip."
Turning to JUNETEETH'S Sacred Jazz dimension Rev. Washington (Sangoma) observes "We are also specializing in offering the first major city venue of Africana Sacred Jazz." Rev. Washington (Sangoma) goes on to explain "By Africana Sacred Jazz we mean the sacred texts of the increasingly diverse faiths within Black life set within the idiom of the African American Jazz art form."
"To be sure," says Rev. Washington (Sangoma) "much of Black Sacred Jazz refers to the texts of the Abrahamic faiths i.e., Jazz based on the texts of the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Bible, and the Muslim Holy Quran. But Africana Sacred Jazz, following the diversity of Africana faiths, is also inclusive of the multiplicity of Black Sacred Texts be they Ifa (Yoruba), Sangoman, Rastafarian, etc. with the common ground being Black human dignity before God and human rights"
Returning to the JUNETEENTH special event Rev. Washington (Sangoma) says "Our event is also a part of the 'June is Juneteenth African American Jazz legacy month' project founded by the Rev. Dr. Ron Meyers, MD, a former Chicago native and today a leading exponent of Mississippi Delta Jazz where he is now based."
According to Rev. Washington (Sangoma) "the patron saints of our Juneteenth Sacred Jazz component are Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, and John Coltrane. "
Commemorating June 19, 1865 Jubilee marking the emancipation of formerly enslaved Africans in Texas and the Southwest generally, Juneteenth is one of the more widely celebrated holidays among African Americans. JUNETEENTH LITERARY & SACRED JAZZ STREET FAIR seeks to be emergent within this oldest and largest nation-wide African American annual reflection on and celebration of the African American Freedom Movement Tradition.
Respectfully submitted: Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma), Pastor of Historic Reformation Church-Chicago ("Young Barack Obama's sanctuary for community organizing") and for JUNETEENTH LITERARY AND SACRED JAZZ STREET FAIR, 5-6-16.
"We are pleased to answer God's call to play a sparking role in organizing what promises to be an important contribution to the hundreds of distinctively African American cultural festivals nationally, a key one among the many Juneteenth celebrations out of Black Chicago particularly" says Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma), Pastor of historic Reformation Church-Chicago.
"The JUNETEENTH LITERARY & SACRED JAZZ STREET FAIR is emergent as a dual arts event showcasing Black authors and books on the one hand as well as engaged Black music makers of Sacred Jazz on the other" observed Rev. Washington (Sangoma).
According to Rev. Washington (Sangoma) JUNETEENTH is also organized to serve as the City-wide cultural expression of the National Black Agenda Consortium-Chicago. "Our goal is to provide a creative production center in support of the broad NBACC plan that addresses Black under-served Chicago's concerns for comprehensive community development in economics, politics, culture, and social services, etc."
"What's more, JUNETEENTH is geared to involve a representative cross-section of major international, national, local, and small press authors and book sellers catering to the Black books market, especially its Africana Studies and faith-based readership" says Rev. Washington (Sangoma).
Rev. Washington (Sangoma) observes "The goal of our book fair is to foster dialogue on current and ongoing critical issues confronting Chicago's Black community of which confronting official city violence under the color of law in our communities and the crises of inner-city education are but the iceberg tip."
Turning to JUNETEETH'S Sacred Jazz dimension Rev. Washington (Sangoma) observes "We are also specializing in offering the first major city venue of Africana Sacred Jazz." Rev. Washington (Sangoma) goes on to explain "By Africana Sacred Jazz we mean the sacred texts of the increasingly diverse faiths within Black life set within the idiom of the African American Jazz art form."
"To be sure," says Rev. Washington (Sangoma) "much of Black Sacred Jazz refers to the texts of the Abrahamic faiths i.e., Jazz based on the texts of the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Bible, and the Muslim Holy Quran. But Africana Sacred Jazz, following the diversity of Africana faiths, is also inclusive of the multiplicity of Black Sacred Texts be they Ifa (Yoruba), Sangoman, Rastafarian, etc. with the common ground being Black human dignity before God and human rights"
Returning to the JUNETEENTH special event Rev. Washington (Sangoma) says "Our event is also a part of the 'June is Juneteenth African American Jazz legacy month' project founded by the Rev. Dr. Ron Meyers, MD, a former Chicago native and today a leading exponent of Mississippi Delta Jazz where he is now based."
According to Rev. Washington (Sangoma) "the patron saints of our Juneteenth Sacred Jazz component are Mary Lou Williams, Duke Ellington, and John Coltrane. "
Commemorating June 19, 1865 Jubilee marking the emancipation of formerly enslaved Africans in Texas and the Southwest generally, Juneteenth is one of the more widely celebrated holidays among African Americans. JUNETEENTH LITERARY & SACRED JAZZ STREET FAIR seeks to be emergent within this oldest and largest nation-wide African American annual reflection on and celebration of the African American Freedom Movement Tradition.
Respectfully submitted: Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma), Pastor of Historic Reformation Church-Chicago ("Young Barack Obama's sanctuary for community organizing") and for JUNETEENTH LITERARY AND SACRED JAZZ STREET FAIR, 5-6-16.
