By Kareeem McMichael
Aug. 25, 2024 – The Savannah Juneteenth Fine Arts Festival, originally scheduled for June, was postponed to August due to severe weather conditions that threatened the area. Despite a few brief rain showers, the event on August 24 was largely ruled by sunny to partly cloudy skies, allowing attendees to celebrate Juneteenth without major interruption.
The festival, held at Forsyth Park, featured a vibrant array of fine arts exhibits, live music performances, literacy and education, cultural demonstrations, and delicious food vendors.
“We’re pleased with the crowd. The folks in this community really come out and support us, and they stuck with us through the couple of weeks of getting things together and finding a date that works for us. We’re having a great time here,” said director of communications for Visit Savannah, the chamber, and Savannah Juneteenth Fine Arts Festival committee member Erica Backus.
The festive atmosphere was strengthened by the presence of community members from all walks of life coming together to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
“Community events in Savannah are such a part of the fabric of who we are. It all connects with the hospitality and hospitable spirit that people feel when they’re visiting our community. The reason that people enjoy visiting our community so much is because our community is so welcoming. It’s great to see all facets of our community able to celebrate in their own way and for the community to come out and support it,” said Backus.
Juneteenth, a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States, is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. While its roots trace back to Texas, Juneteenth has gained national prominence, including in Savannah. This city played a crucial role in the history of slavery and has become a significant center for commemorating Juneteenth.
The festival’s vision is to create an annual event that not only commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people but also serves as a platform for artistic expression and social change. The festival featured a diverse group of food trucks, arts and crafts, music, dance, and spoken word artists, both locally and abroad.
According to a 2021 report from the Racial Equity and Leadership (REAL) Task Force titled “Seeing Savannah Through a Racial Equity Lens,” Black residents make up 54% of Savannah’s population yet face significant economic disparities.
“The joy of being a business owner is awesome in itself, but being a small black female business owner is unique, again, in itself. Giving back to our community and being able to support each other helps keep our money in our own communities. A lot of times we go everywhere else and spend our money and then ask our own people to give it to us for free, do it at a discount, or give me a hookup. When you come to events like this and you have many businesses out here just trying to bring that money in so we can also keep it in our communities and be self-sufficient,” said Yolandra Shipp, owner of The Pynz Company.
The Pynz Company and Accessories offers handmade designer pens, pencils, styluses, journals, tennis shoes, and more. Some of the funds from sales go to programs to raise awareness about domestic violence and breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, Black women still have a 4% lower incidence rate of breast cancer than White women but a 40% higher breast cancer death rate.
Other findings from the REAL Task Force report found that 36 percent of Savannahians live in asset poverty, and 30% of Black households have a net worth of zero. Moreover, only 30% of the city’s businesses are Black owned. Events like this are important for vendors because they give them a chance to showcase their business and support others.
“A lot of the vendors here are small businesses, food trucks, small vendors, and jewelry makers. I’ve seen T-shirt people and all kinds of great small businesses out here. This really gives them an opportunity to bring their business to the footstep of where the visitors are. Especially if you’re an online small business, this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Black business excellence at its best,” said Backus.
Many of the vendors were thrilled that the festival was rescheduled, as it gave them the opportunity to share their work.
“There are not enough events for brown people to get together, period. Anytime, I don’t care if it’s a birthday party or anniversary party; anytime brown people get together, it’s a good thing, and so is culturally, connecting with people,” said Taunya Benton, owner of Taunya Benton Design, a custom-made jewelry line ranging from rings to bangles and more.
Benton is a self-taught jewelry artist who began her career 15 years ago creating jewelry for herself and her daughter from components she thrifted or found at the bottom of her jewelry box.
Ever since her childhood, she has been fascinated by the manner in which people from around the world decorate themselves with jewelry. From the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the African bushmen and the Far East, Benton believes jewelry serves as a universal, outward expression of artistic creativity.
“I have always loved jewelry. I always had a love for jewelry. I grew up in the ’70’s, and seeing the ’70’s jewelry from the Blaxploitation movies—just all the African pieces and just the ornate pieces—captivated me, and I wanted to make what I used to see. That’s how it was born,” said Benton.
Benton is dedicated to creating designer, heirloom-quality jewelry that everyone can afford. Each and every piece is made by hand with imported metals and stones in her studio. Though Benton creates a wide range of pieces, her favorite to create are bangles. She recalls growing up adoring her mom and aunt’s bangles and loved the sound they made. In Africa, bangles were the standard means of conveying status.
“In Africa, they say that bangles used to be currency. They would trade them for goods and other things. You could tell how much money a family had by the number of bangles they wore, men and women. There is also an old African proverb that says you can tell the mood of a woman by the sign of her jewelry, because if she’s coming at you quickly, you can hear her, and if she’s peaceful, you can’t,” said Benton.
This was a family affair, as Benton’s daughter, Temakha MaaKheru, was there with her products and was a performer as well. She recalls going with her mom to a Juneteenth event years ago in Gainesville, not knowing what it was but learning about it then and throughout her adulthood.
“Juneteenth is important because I just got out of high school, and mom told me she got picked up to do an event. She had just started making jewelry, and we went to a Juneteenth market. I did not know much about it, but I learned, and it was really touching to see my mom and many others at the market. When it comes to Juneteenth, we’re thinking about liberation; we’re thinking about freedom; we’re thinking about creativity,” she said.
The award-winning artist founded Adundaverse, which uses the music, art, service, and education industries to provide self- and community-care products and activations to address our society’s growing need for creative, inspiring,g and holistic approaches to mental health.
“I’m doing my best to use all of my creative talents to create medicine. Something that’s going to be nourishing—something that’s going to be good for myself, for my community, for my family, and for the world. What we have here with the publication Adundaverse is a new galaxy,” she said.
Maakheru was a professional model who triumphed over the challenges of depression to remedy her mind and body through the application of the ancient healing art of Kemetic Reiki.
Just like holistic healing has a connection to Africa, so do the skills of sewing and knitting. Honey Bunny Boutique, whose mainstays are purses, handbags, wallets, and jewelry. Each item is handmade, and no two items are exactly alike.
“My mother used to sew, and that’s something I remember when she was young. We stopped for a while, and then I’m glad that I picked it back up and relearned those skills. It gives us a connection back to our roots in many ways. I like to incorporate lots of different types of materials from around the world. This gives us the ability to make things ourselves and not just take them to others,” said owner Shauna Carmichael.
Artist and candle maker Kyilah Hardnett has been selling my candles and prints for about three and a half years now. Her candles are dermatologist-approved to make sure they are not harmful to the skin. She says there is a need for more events like this.
“We need more events like this in Savannah because it just brings people together, even if it’s not a Black event or predominantly Black event, but it brings people together. I believe we need more joy in the world. We need people to get together and just enjoy ourselves.”
The organizers say they already have sponsors lined up for next year, and they are looking forward to growing as they will host their third festival in 2025.
Kareem McMichael is a filmmaker, documentarian, writer, and multimedia content creator. The Macon native enjoys entertainment, and sharing with locals and visitors’ stories about Savannah’s art and culture scene. When he is not working, he enjoys relaxing at the beach, grabbing a beverage, hitting a fun art event. You can find his work at https://kmcmichael.weebly.com
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