Juneteenth celebration in Dayton this week spotlights culture, education, R&B Grammy nominees

Levitt Pavilion Dayton's sixth annual Juneteenth celebration Friday, June 19, headlined by Grammy-nominated R&B girl group Brownstone, will bring commemoration, education, entertainment and reflection to the forefront.

Presented in partnership with Home of the Urban Creative Arts, a multifaceted organization co-founded by Dayton Poet Laureate Sierra Leone and her husband, Robert Owens Sr., Levitt's Juneteenth programming is built on the foundation of strengthening community through music.

“We at Levitt Dayton believe that the celebration of freedom and the community commemoration of Juneteenth are so important, now more than ever,†said Lisa Wagner, executive director. “We continue to create a space where everyone belongs, and everyone is seen, and the legacy of how we connect and deepen our relationships through music is essential to the vibrancy of our region.â€

Centered on the theme “Legacy of Freedom,†the festivities will begin at 4:45 p.m. with “Boots on the Ground,†which includes a short educational overview and homage to local and national individuals who have fought and continue to fight for freedom, followed by community Southern soul line dancing.

Wagner praised Leone's curatorial vision, which includes African drumming by Cleveland-based Djapo Cultural Arts Institute, a performance by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, face painting, poetry, live choir, food sculptures, food trucks, a Black mobile bookstore and more.

“The curation of this programming by the Home of Urban Creative Arts team for ‘Legacy of Freedom III' is elevating the celebration and giving voice to the importance of why we need to remember Juneteenth,†Wagner said. “We are grateful for their partnership along with all of the community members that give us that collective voice during our Juneteenth event.â€

‘The fight continues while trying to celebrate'

In 2021, Juneteenth became the first federal holiday in the United States since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 1983. It marks the emancipation of African Americans from slavery on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the Civil War.

For the third consecutive year, Leone chose “Legacy of Freedom†as the overarching theme of the Levitt celebration. Considering current events, most notably the U.S. Supreme Court's weakening of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, she said the pursuit of freedom remains critical to the Black community in America.

“The fight continues while trying to celebrate,†Leone said. “Due to the amount of erasure we are facing culturally, we must continue to lean in to (the) work even in the face of what is being experienced on a national level. It is absolutely disturbing to see 60 years of work gutted like it didn't exist – but it did. And it is up to us to ensure that we create space for our historians, teachers, educators, poets, writers and creatives – whomever is doing this work – in a way that is going to continue to pull us forward.â€

She also shared her appreciation for Levitt as a gathering space that embraces collective joy as strangers become unified through music.

“Sometimes we're so siloed or trapped in a particular box in which we're having a lived experience and who we're doing it with,†Leone said. “But the Levitt opens the door for us to come together publicly and our partnership is priceless and needed. At the Levitt we get to utilize what we love most – which is music – and we're able to appreciate culture and collectively do it with the people we love. We don't have a lot of spaces outside of church, home and the library where an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old can sit together. And getting to book a group like Brownstone is special. It takes a lot to meet the metric of old school and still relevant.â€

‘We were able to write, perform and arrange songs that were real to us'

Signed to Michael Jackson's MJJ Music record label in the mid-1990s, Brownstone is best known for their 1994 hit “If You Love Me,†which was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and was the second single from their debut 1995 album “From the Bottom Up.â€

“Michael knew what he was doing when he picked the group and we really appreciate that,†said Nichole “Nicci†Gilbert, founding member. “As an artist and a songwriter, we were able to write, perform and arrange songs that were real to us and, thankfully, it has resonated over the years. We are super grateful.â€

Gilbert performs alongside Arin Jackson, who joined in 2019, and newest member Alexis Jones, who joined in 2022 and was quick to mention the group's signature style.

“Brownstone were fashion trailblazers,†Jones said. “The black leather with the combat boots – they set the trend. And Nicci started that pixie cut! Still to this day I admire Nicci because she's open to evolving and is constantly evolving. Brownstone has remained relevant because we're constantly changing.â€

The group also acknowledged the nostalgia that has carried them over the past three decades.

“When you think of Brownstone and remember how good the music made you feel, you want that feeling again,†Jackson said. “What makes Brownstone special is that you can have the same feelings you had in 1996 in 2026. It's amazing.â€

The trio looks forward to performing on Juneteenth not only for personal fulfillment but cultural awareness as well.

“We are living our ancestor's wildest dreams,†Jackson said. “We get to do what we love because of those who came before us and sacrificed. And being able to perform for everyone – seeing them with their lawn chairs and enjoying their families and friends – it feels like a family reunion with good vibes.â€

Leone hopes the Dayton community enjoys the Juneteenth celebration and are willing to be advocates for freedom.

“Juneteenth is about coming together and ensuring there is space to be heard, educated and informed,†she said. “It's about us talking to our neighbors, being willing to communicate and try new things. We are not stopping. We are not giving up. We are not giving in. And we are thankful for the support of Dayton, Ohio, and those who believe in freedom.â€