As our Juneteenth celebrations come to a close, it’s important to remember that we still have so much further to go.
Yes, we can celebrate with the cookouts, the barbeques, the parties – but what else should commemorating Juneteenth really consist of?
Well, Chevrolet and Urban One have partnered to explore exactly that and create a space “for conversation to be both held and heard to enable actionable change resulting in true progress.”
The first arm of the partnership explores “historical, contemporary, and future Black experices against the racialized ideals of the American Dream through special episodes of the award-winning podcast, “More Than That With Gia Peppers.”
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For this experience, listeners will be able to take part in a two-part “sonic journey through the holiday’s history, beginning with the harrowing deception of the Texas slaves who were belatedly informed of their freedom and its current day ramifications.” Guests include civil rights leader, Dr. Benjamin Franklin Chavis Jr., Grammy award-winning music engineer, Young Guru, and NAACP Image Award Nominee, Lynae Vanee.
In addition, the partnership will also include a four-market tour, beginning in June, which strives to bring these conversations to life.
Mike Muse will host the “Real Talk Drives Change” tour which will continue the conversation of racial disparities, and provide attendees with “real-life tools to inspire positive change in their world.”
The tour will rotate between “high profile guests, thoughtful leaders, and cultural icons,” who will explore the topics of access to higher education, policy and justice reform, mental health and wellness, and financial freedom.
“Real Talk Drives Real Change is such an important part of the evolution of businesses and brands that run this nation, quite literally… to actually create safe spaces for us to have conversations that aren’t easy,” said Peppers.
“It’s not easy for them to even understand all of the plights that we go through as Black people in this country. So for them to fund it, and for them to be a part of creating ways [for it] to continue to be on the airwaves… it’s important to have partners that understand [that],” she continued.
The tour will also be “free ticketed to the public” and streamed live. And attendees will even be surprised with musical performances from some of the highest chart-topping artists.