Juneteenth has been observed by communities since the 19th century to honor Freedom Day: June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. A federal holiday since 2021, Juneteenth will be celebrated on our broadcast with an evening of music honoring the historical and ongoing effort for civil rights and to celebrate the Black American experience.
On Evening Jazz from 6 to 9 p.m., Nicole Sweeney will feature three hours of songs for the day, including Donald Byrd’s “Elijah,” a song intended to invoke the sound of spirituals long heard in Black churches across the country. This comes from his definitive 1964 album A New Perspective.
Nicole will also play “Fables of Faubus,” the deeply satiric composition that Charles Mingus directed at Arkansas governor Orville Faubus, who in 1957 called on the National Guard to prevent the racial integration of Little Rock Central High School. And she’ll feature “Alabama,” which John Coltrane composed in response to the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama by members of the Ku-Klux Klan.
On Late Evening Jazz from 9 p.m. to midnight, Ms. Blue will feature a playlist composed entirely of Black artists performing Civil Rights anthems, songs of hope, and songs for freedom. Among them is a WRTI-exclusive version of Ursula Rucker’s powerful poem “L.O.V.E.,” performed alongside bassist Anthony Tidd & Sittin In All-Stars.
Blue will also play “Freedom Dance,” a song written by guitarist Lionel Loueke and arranged for the Blue Note All-Stars, featuring Loueke on guitar, Robert Glasper on keyboards, Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, Marcus Strickland on tenor saxophone, Derrick Hodge on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums.
Both Nicole and Ms. Blue will feature music from the new Terri Lyne Carrington and Christie Dashiell album, We Insist 2025!, as well as the original 1960 recording that inspired it: We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite featuring Abbey Lincoln, Coleman Hawkins and Olatunji. (Watch this space for our exclusive premiere of a video for “Driva’man,” from We Insist 2025!)
Finally, at midnight, WRTI will air a special encore presentation of this month’s First Friday, hosted by Nicole Sweeney on June 6 and featuring Black anthems by James Brown, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, just to name a few.
Join us this Thursday for Juneteenth on WRTI!
