Juneteenth Jubilee

Archie Green/Peel Dem Layers Back

Archie Green, Founder of Peel Dem Layers Back, has sought his own healing through his pen and beats that have taken him beyond the studio and garnered local and national attention. Green advocates for mental health and has made history as the first rapper to perform at the world-renowned Severance Hall, Cleveland, Ohio. Green’s most recent album is Cope Dealer. The mission of Peel Dem Layers Back is to culturally educate, empower and equip Black men and boys with the essential tools necessary to live a mentally healthy life through a hip-hop lens.

Chelsea Pastel

Chelsea Pastel is a rapper, singer, and producer based out of Cleveland, OH. She is known for her animated production style, catchy hooks, and captivating wordplay. Chelsea's music can be described as a genre blend of rap, pop with a dash of rock, creating a fresh sound with an old school flair. Chelsea writes, produces and engineers the vast majority of her music.

DCDC - Photo Courtesy of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company/Scott Robbins

DCDC (Dayton Contemporary Dance Company)

The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) is a culturally diverse contemporary dance company committed to reaching the broadest audience through exceptional performance and arts-integrated education. DCDC is the 10th largest modern contemporary dance company in the nation and remains rooted in the African American experience and committed to the development of diverse movement artists on the global stage. DCDC is a co-recipient of one of the dance world’s highest honors, the 2016 Bessie Award for Outstanding Revival. DCDC has traveled the world dancing on stage for packed houses in Bermuda, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, South Korea and throughout the United States.

Head wrapping, Elipsis Institute for Womxn of Color in the Academy

Presented by the Ellipsis Institute for Womxn of Color in the Academy, the demonstration engages participants through the sociopolitical analysis of what it means to wrap or cover one’s hair/head/ori and how our intersecting identities grant or deny access to institutional spaces as we work towards collective liberation.

Jazz Ensemble led by Ronell Regis

Ronell Regis is a saxophonist, composer, arranger, and producer born in Brooklyn, New York City and raised in Atlanta, GA. It was in Brooklyn where he was exposed to immense diversity especially in the Caribbean realm through his Grenadian parents. He began playing saxophone for his home church at 12 years old and found his love for jazz in high school. He is a recent graduate of the Jazz Studies Program at Kent State University. He aims to unveil his life experiences and feelings through his work. He is joined by Gabe Jones on drums, Jordan McBride on bass, and Jonah Ferguson on guitar.

Kent State University Jazz Studies students are provided the opportunity to improve individual musicianship, create a personal voice, learn from and be inspired by the rich history, understand the evolutionary process and modern trends of Jazz while becoming musical leaders and positive contributors to the Kent State University experience.

Kenge Kenge Orutu System

Kenge Kenge Orutu System symbolizes all that is great about African traditional music: they are the guardians and masters of an ancient but living tradition. They breathe new life into Kenya's Luo musical roots, continuing its evolution, from the handmade instruments of the past, through the popular guitar-based benga, and now returning to both re-explore the acoustic origins of benga and embrace their Luo musical heritage.

Mwatabu Okantah & Friends featuring Vince Robinson

A multimedia exploration. Enjoy poet Mwatabu S. Okantah, ’76, interim chair of the Department of Africana Studies, as he tells the story of self-discovery, healing and transformation rendered in original music and poetry set to music, with keyboard artist Vince Robinson and friends.

Nola Movement

Experience top-rated Zumba and dance fitness. Nola Movement is a space for women to ignite and fuel their fire through physical movement, positive mindset practices, and community connection. Through movement events, speaking engagements, and coaching conversations, Nola Movement inspires women to take action in their lives.

Textures the History and Art of Black Hair

Kent State Museum Exhibit

11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday
Tickets: $4 - $6
To learn more about this exhibit and purchase tickets, visit the KSU Museum's TEXTURES web page.