With a continued commitment to celebrating the extraordinary contributions of artists of African descent, the 6th Annual Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas will kick-off it’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 3rd with its fundraiser the 2nd Annual RBG Ball (Red, Black & Green) & Black Arts Awards.
This black-tie affair will honor local artists in six disciplines. The program will include the introduction of three historical African Princes who will be available for public appearances, birthday parties and school visits throughout the year. The meal will once again be curated and prepared by celebrity chef, Kenyatta Ashford. Chef Ashford studied at the renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York.
In its sixth year (2023) the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas: Juneteenth Independence Day will run June 1st - June 19th. Events and activities will take place in varying locations throughout Chattanooga. Our goal for this year and years to come is to grow the festival. This will be accomplished in part by not only including local artists, speakers and workshop leaders, but by adding more reginal, national and internationally recognized artists.
CFBA&I orbits around June 19th because Juneteenth represents a historic triumph of the human spirit. We honor our ancestors by holding this day in reverence and celebrating ourselves to celebrate them.
Wielding the transformative powers of the arts, our festivals are revolutionary acts of sankofa-- retrieving that which was ours and had been forgotten. The arts delight, instruct, console, awaken, and refine us and if we let them, they restore our humanity. Our mission is to showcase emerging and established local artists of African descent who are creating, innovating and producing extraordinary work in the disciplines of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film and literature.
2023 Schedule of Events
Thursday, June 1st
- Elizabeth Catlett Exhibitions: “Y’all Don’t Hear Me” Opening Reception
- Time: 6:00 PM – Meet and Greet
- 7:00 PM - Conversation with Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee, Curator
- Location: Stove Works, 1250 E 13th Street, Chatt.
- Tickets: FREE – Donations
“Y’all Don’t Hear Me” is a statement by someone who feels disregarded, which resonates with the Black Appalachian community. “You don’t hear us because you’re not listening; you’re not listening because you don’t know we exist.” - Kreneshia Whiteside-McGee , Curator. The purpose of this collection is to amplify their narrative and remind audiences that there are quality artists creating in the mountains.
Although the base of the project is visual arts, music and language are highly recognized components of the Appalachia. Poetry by Nikki Giovanni and Crystal Wilkinson are included throughout the collection along with playlists for each era (available on YouTube). Together, each of these creative components push the exposure of Black artists and add to the ambient experience for the public to better understand our culture.
Saturday, June 3rd
- 2nd Annual RGB Ball Fundraiser
- Time: 6:00 PM Cocktail Hour
- 7:00 PM Dinner will be served
- 8:00 PM 2nd Annual Black Arts Awards
- Location: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River Street
- Tickets: $60 – Only 101 tickets will be sold for the Ball in honor of the 101 Anniversary of Black Wall Street Massacre. Tickets to the Black Arts Award may be purchased separately for $20.00.
The RBG Ball (Red, Black & Green) is our kick-off for the Juneteenth festivals. The Ball ticket price includes: Entry into the cash bar cocktail hour, gourmet dinner & dessert, 2nd Annual Black Arts Awards and Dance. Our Black Arts Awards honors six black artists in Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Literary Arts, Film and Theatre.
The meal will be curated and prepared by celebrate Chef Kenyatta Ashford. Chef Ashford studied at the renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York. Before returning to Chattanooga, he gained experience and inspiration while working in New Orleans, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. He is enthused about the expanding food scene in Chattanooga. He was awarded Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant by the James Beard Foundation that he used to study cuisines of the African American diaspora and West Africa. Chef Ashford is co-founded of a dinner series called "4 Courses & Supper Club". He has been featured in Travel Noire, New York Times, and The Chattanooga Times Free
Last year we introduced three historical African princesses, Warrior Princess Amina, Elizabeth of Toro and Princess Taytu Betul. This year we will introduce their male counterparts, Pharaoh Alara, Shaka Zulu and Mansa Musa. All will soon be available for public appearances, birthday parties, school visits and more.
Thursday, June 8th
- Elizabeth Catlett Exhibitions: Featured Artist Exhibition Opening Reception
- Time: 6:00 PM Meet & Greet
- 7:00 PM Panel Discussion: “Y’all Don’t See Me” Black Women in Visual Arts
- Location: AVA – Association of Visual Arts - 30 Frazier Ave.
- Tickets: FREE
Come meet and greet this year’s feature visual artist Sheryl Benford along with other local Black artist in the open call exhibition.
Friday, June 9th
- Opening Night of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson
- Time: Reception at 7:00 PM– Curtain at 8:00 PM
- Location: Chattanooga Theatre Centre Circle Theatre, 400 River St.
- Tickets: $25 – Tickets may be purchased at by calling the CTC Box Office at 423-267-8534 or boxoffice@theatrecentre.co.
The August Wilson Playmakers Festival will host the Opening Night reception of CTC’s production of Piano Lesson. The play tells the story of the Charles family. They are forced to confront the literal and figurative ghosts of their past before they can move into the future.
Sunday, June 11th
- August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson Lecture
- Time: Play starts at 2:30 PM Lecture to follow around 4:30
- Location: Chattanooga Theatre Centre Circle Theatre, 400 River St.
- Tickets: $25 – CTC Box Office / TheatreCenter.com
If you missed Opening Night for The Piano Lesson here is another opportunity to enjoy this incredible work. Immediately following the show August Wilson Society Education Director Pedro E. Alvarado joins us once again to enlighten and entertain the audience about this play and the life of Mr. Wilson. You will also get to meet and hear from the cast about their preparation for their roles in the play.
Thursday, June 15th
- Black In Appalachia Presentation/Lecture
- Time: 6:00 PM
- Location: Stove Works, 1250 E 13th Street, Chatt.
- Tickets: FREE – Donations
BIA works to highlight the history & contributions of African Americans in the development of the Mountain South & its culture. They do that through research, local narratives, public engagement & exhibition. Black in Appalachia is a community service for Appalachian residents and families with roots in & through the region.
William Isom II is a 6th generation East Tennessean and Director of Community Outreach at East Tennessee PBS in Knoxville. As the director of the Black in Appalachia Project for PBS, he coordinates the project’s research, community database development, documentary film and photography production, oral history collection and educational events in conjunction with local residents. He is also the proud father of two boys, Devin and Isa.
In his role of Director of Community Outreach, he teaches an after-school media training program with Knoxville high school students (PBS Newshour’s Smoky Mountain Youth Media), hosts free community screenings of Independent Lens documentaries, produces and directs short historical films under “Blacks in Appalachia Films.” That documentary series is aimed at preserving and raising up the narratives of Black history and culture in Central Appalachia.
Friday, June 16th
- Juba Dance Ensemble Performance
- Time: 7:00 PM Performance
- 8:30 PM Panel Discussion with Dancers
- Location: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River Street
- Tickets: $25 Children under 10 Free – Visit our Website to purchase tickets.
This is the inaugural performance of the Juba Dance Ensemble under the direction of Crystal Newson. You will be taken on a journey through the history of dance created by Black people. From African to Hip-hop and everything in between. All the dancers are local artist that have appeared in various performances throughout Chattanooga and Hamilton County. You will be moved and educated to all that is dance and its connections to each other.
Saturday, June 17th
- 2nd Annual Juneteenth Freedom Run & Walk
- Time: 8:00 AM Half Marathon Run – 9:00 AM Walk
- Location: Hubert Fry Center - 4301 Amnicola Highway
Lindsay Bisset said it best, “Freedom is a journey we take together as a country, and this race is a reminder of our commitment together”. Juneteenth is a holiday for all Americans and this run is a great way to show our unity.
Opal Lee was called the "grandmother of the movement" to make Juneteenth a federal holiday by Biden, who at one point left the stage and walked over to the 94-year-old to speak with her directly. In 2016, at 89 years old, Lee, a former teacher and lifelong activist, walked from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to the nation's capital in an effort to get Juneteenth named a national holiday.
Saturday, June 17th
- Katherine Dunham Juba Dance Festival Workshops
- Times: 10:00 AM African Dance
- 11:30 AM Jazz Dance
- 1:00 PM Hip-Hop Dance
- 2:30 PM Contemporary
- Location: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River Street
These workshops will be taught by professional dancers most of which are members of the Juba Dance Ensemble. The fee for each workshop is $15 and will last 1 hour and 15 minutes. All are welcome to participate.
Saturday, June 17th
- D. Williams Dance Academy Recital
- Time: 3:00 PM
- Location: Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River Street
The D. Williams Dance Academy is a dance company that trains all levels of dancers. They offer various classes from Ballet to Acro on a recreational and competitive level to insure we have a place for all types of dancers. They turn interests into passions and take pride in preparing our students for the competitive world of dance as well as the entertainment industry. At DWDA, Dance is Life and Life is Dance. They are located in Chattanooga, TN, Scottsboro, AL and soon Huntsville, AL.
Saturday, June 17th
- Scratching Your Roots Black Genealogy Society Open House & New Member Recruitment
- Time: 10:00 AM
- Location: The Chattanooga Public Library, 1001 Broad Street
- Tickets: FREE
This Black genealogy workshop is designed to provide tools for those of African descent to discover where their ancestors were from. This year we will work to form Our Ancestors Research Society.
Saturday, June 17th
- Legacy Music Festival – Featuring Jazz Guitarist Eric Essix
- Time: 8:00 PM
- Location: Miller Park, 910 Market Street
On Saturday, June 17th the Legacy Music Festival will present Eric Essix in concert. Over a period of more than 34 years and now 28 full length album releases, Eric Essix has maintained a steady flow of new music that continues to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz. Following the success of his Songs From The Deep project, Eric recently released his 28th album entitled STRiDE on his Essential Recordings label, again distributed by Lightyear Entertainment/Virgin Music/UMG.
Sunday, June 18th
- 4th Annual Black Dads Matter Father’s Day Gospel/Jazz Brunch
- Time: 12:30 Brunch, 2:00 Concert
- Location: Waterhouse Pavilion in Miller Park, 850 Market Street
- Tickets: $45
This year’s concert will be performed by members of the hit musical The Color Purple. They will be performing sings songs from the show and other gospel favorites. The event climaxes with the awarding of the 4th Annual Extraordinary Father of The Year Award.
Monday, June 19th
- Juneteenth Commemoration Ceremony & Concert – Oscar Michaux Black Film Festival.
- Time: 12:00 Noon
- Location: The Walker Theater inside the Memorial Auditorium
- Tickets: FREE
All of Greater Chattanooga & Hamilton County is invited to join us for the 158th Annual Juneteenth Independence Day Commemoration Ceremony. The ceremony will include the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation and the singing of Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice” and other freedom songs.
Immediately following the ceremony will begin our Oscar Michaux Black Film festival. Our film festival highlights films made by local Black film makers. We also feature films, including documentaries, made by national and international Black film makers.
Oscar Micheaux (1884 - 1951) was a pioneering African-American author, filmmaker, and without a doubt the most famous producer of race films. In 1919, he formed his own movie production company and became the first African-American to ever make a film shown in “white” movie theaters. Over his illustrious career, Micheaux wrote, produced and directed forty-four feature-length films and wrote seven novels, one of which was a national bestseller.
Given the times, his accomplishments in publishing and film are both unprecedented and awe-inspiring. He used his art to portray truer narratives of the Black experience and to combat the racism of the times, as captured so neatly in D.W. Griffith’s notorious film, ‘The Birth of a Nation’.
The full schedule of films & panel discussion as well as Special Guest to be announced soon!
June 1st – 19th
- Princesses & Prince Project
- Time: They will make appearances throughout the festival
- Locations: All over.
Last year we introduced three historical African princesses, Warrior Princess Amina, Elizabeth of Toro and Princess Taytu Betul. This year we will introduce their male counterparts, Pharaoh Alara, Shaka Zulu and Mansa Musa. Each actor has learned the history of their character are able to educate the audience as a group or as they speak one on one with festival goers. All will soon be available for public appearances, birthday parties, school, recreation centers, churches, Black History Month events and more.
Please visit our website for additional information about our event: BlackArtsAndIdeasFest.com