The Manhattan Arts Center launched Juneteenth celebrations on Thursday night with a fashion show celebrating Black culture through the decades.
Organized by the Manhattan Juneteenth Committee, the show highlighted Black fashion from the 20th and 21st centuries in keeping with this year’s theme of “Honoring Our Past, Shaping Our Future.” Personal stylist Lydia Bowyer incorporated looks from the 1920s, 1970s, 1990s and 2020s.
A first-year member of the Juneteenth committee, Bowyer said she wanted to highlight the influence of Black culture and history on current styles.
“It’s very important to recognize the people who started the trends we have today,” Bowyer said. “Fashion, especially in the Black community, is not just clothes. It’s how we lived through life and the things that only we could have during hard times. … A lot of the time, things were segregated, so we couldn’t wear what everyone else was wearing.”
The evening began with a reception, where attendees could mingle and explore the center’s art gallery. Jurdene Coleman, chair of the Juneteenth committee, opened the show with remarks on the history of Black fashion and its cultural influence.
“Today’s Black fashion serves as a vibrant expression of resilience, creativity and empowerment, honoring the legacy of the past while forging a path toward a more inclusive and equitable future,” Coleman said to an enthusiastic audience.
The Juneteenth committee has led local celebrations of the holiday since 1989, but Coleman said this is the first time the group has put on a fundraiser for its own activities. Tickets to the show cost $15 dollars, and the Manhattan Arts Center assisted with the donation of its facilities and hors d’oeuvres.
“This is our first shot at trying to do something to bring people in to come out and support Juneteenth, have a good time and enjoy some good food in a community space,” Coleman said.
The fashion show is the first of several community events in honor of the holiday. There will be a Unity Walk on Saturday, June 15, at 10:30 a.m. in Douglass Park, followed by an afternoon of live music, food and activities. Celebrations will continue later with a showing of “42” at 8 p.m. in City Park.
The U.S. officially observes Juneteenth on June 19. This years celebration marks 159 years since the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, ending slavery in the United States.
