NASHVILLE, TN — Alkebu-Lan Images will mark Juneteenth with an afternoon of food, music and community dialogue centered on the meaning of freedom.
The event, titled “What Does It Mean To Be Free? A Juneteenth Speakers Corner on Jefferson Street,” will take place Thursday, June 18, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Alkebu-Lan Images, 2721 Jefferson St.
Organizers describe the gathering as both a celebration and an opportunity for reflection, encouraging participants to explore the significance of Juneteenth through conversation and shared experiences.
“Freedom didn’t arrive all at once, and it didn’t arrive on time,” organizers said in a statement announcing the event. “Juneteenth marks freedom as it actually came: late, partial, hard-won. That’s exactly why we’re still asking what it means.”
According to the organizers, the program will unfold throughout the afternoon, allowing guests to arrive and depart as their schedules permit. Attendees can enjoy food from Slim’s Smoqe Signals BBQ and music provided by Black Lion Sound System while taking part in discussions led by community voices.
The conversations will center on four questions:
• What does it mean to be free?
• What is the cost of freedom, and who has paid it?
• Are we free enough, and how do we hold the freedom we have?
• What are we building for those not yet free?
Each discussion will be introduced with a poem, passage and book selection from Alkebu-Lan Images’ shelves.
Organizers are inviting attendees to bring a poem, passage or a few words of their own to share, although those who prefer to listen are equally welcome.
The event is free and open to the public. Organizers ask those planning to attend to RSVP in advance.
