JUNETEENTH:
WHAT'S GOING ON

Black Music Month co-founder Dyana Williams will lead an online conversation Friday on how black music has shifted and shaped the culture with Island Records President and CEO Darcus Beese and Island GM/EVP LaTrice Burnette.

The Juneteenth event, which starts at noon ET/9am PT, will also feature a performance by Darkchild/Island’s Jac Ross.

YouTube Music is launching two unique music and video shelves with featured content dedicated to education and celebration of black contributions to the arts and social justice.

A new playlist, Juneteenth: Freedom Songs, showcases songs of protest, liberation and celebration from artists such as Beyonce, Bob Marley and Prince.

New featured video content will showcase a collection of videos that highlight Black social movements and struggles throughout history such as the Origin of Race, A Conversation About Growing Up Black and the recent YouTube Originals live stream, Bear Witness, Take Action.

Quincy Jones and Qwest TV are providing free access to the Qwest TV Educational Platform to all willing schools across the world. The platform has more than 1,000 concerts, documentaries and archival footage representing a cross-section of music including jazz, soul, world music and classical.

Qwest TV hopes to be an entry point for those wanting to connect with and learn more about the wide-ranging music made by black Americans, along with other musical artists from around the world. “We want each kid and student in this country to be able to freely explore their musical history by rediscovering their roots, both through jazz and beyond,” Jones said.

Sixnineteen has all the details on marches across the country.

Usher called for the creation of a Junteenth national holiday in an op-ed piece in the The Washington Post. “Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday would be a small gesture compared with the greater social needs of black people in America,” he writes. “But it can remind us of our journey toward freedom, and the work America still has to do.”

We will update this post throughout the day.