NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra and NBC Sports Boston are the proud media partners of the Embrace Ideas Festival hosted by Embrace Boston. The festival takes place June 14-16, the three days leading up to the Juneteenth holiday weekend.
The Festival, grounded in arts, ideas, culture and public scholarship, is an annual celebration of Juneteenth, the holiday that celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. Embrace Boston invites the community to experience keynotes, panels, and live music that will shine a light on how to interrupt zero-sum game thinking in relation to racial justice and realizing a democracy worthy of its communities through this year’s theme – "Here and Present, The Art of Reclaiming Space and Time".
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“We want The Embrace Ideas Festival to create a greater sense of inclusivity around America’s first true Independence Day,” said Imari Paris Jeffries, executive director of Embrace Boston. “This annual celebration will provide our communities with the necessary tools for all people to celebrate the Holiday, and in turn, create a safe space for learning, ideas, and enjoying music together.”
“Our goal is to shine a light on these stories and focus on the celebration of Juneteenth and its importance for every person in every community”, said Chris Wayland, president and general manager of NBC10 Boston, Telemundo Boston, NBC Sports Boston, and NECN. “We will continue to give a voice to every viewer through our storytelling in English and Spanish.”
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The festival will kick off on Wednesday with Embrace Boston’s first-ever Juneteenth Concert on the Boston Common, hosted by NBC10 Boston morning anchor Latoyia Edwards. At the first formal event at The Embrace memorial since its unveiling, the team will be joined by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who will perform alongside The Embrace Choir. NBC10 Boston will have live coverage in its 11 a.m. newscast.
Throughout the three days, there will be thought-provoking and culturally-relevant panels with titles such as “Creativity is at the Center of Black Resistance” and “Who Made the Potato Salad?” All panels will be streamed on NBC10Boston.com, NECN.com and TelemundoNuevaInglaterra.com.
On the festival's final day, Embrace Boston and NBC10 Boston’s Kwani Lunis will host “The Embrace Honors,” awarding community leaders and Roxbury’s own for their commitment and leadership for being a catalyst for change in our communities.
“I’m grateful to Embrace Boston for creating community spaces to uplift and celebrate Black voices at their Juneteenth Festival,” Wu said. “I look forward to coming together through music, community and conversation to share and reflect on experiences.”
Following the ceremony, Embrace Boston will kick off the Juneteenth weekend with The Embrace Ideas Block Party at Roxbury Community College from 2:30-8 p.m., which aims to celebrate artistic expression through a lively party headlined by Grammy Award-nominated music producer & DJ, Just Blaze. The evening celebration will be a joyful night of dancing, music, and community. NBC10 Boston and Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra will have live coverage in its early evening newscasts.
In addition to streaming the festival, NBC10 Boston will air the Embrace Boston film “Welcoming The Embrace” on Monday, June 19, at 7 p.m. The film, directed by John Adekoje, Miranda Adekoje, Noah Christofer, Darrus Sands, will also premiere during the Roxbury Film Festival later in the month. There will be a Q&A at the premiere hosted by NBC10 Boston News Anchor Glenn Jones.
