Organizers ready for annual Juneteenth celebrations

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Community organizers in the metro are getting ready for the annual Juneteenth celebration kicking off on Friday.

“We’ll have Black-owned businesses, vendors, over 50 Black-owned businesses selling their artisans and their goods in Black Excellence Ave,” said Nichole Rogers, one of the organizers.

The three-day event will have local artists and conclude on Sunday with a Father’s Day Celebration.

“That one time a year where you know the Black community gets together, and it is geared around us, centered around our culture, centered around the people you know African Americans in New Mexico,” said Torrance Green, another one of the organizers.

People can come out and enjoy the kids’ zone and a number of local performers, but organizers said there will also be an opportunity to learn.

“We still have a long way to go, but it is also about celebrating how far we’ve come but realizing we still have some ways to go when it comes to accessing the American dream and finances, homeownership, business development, making sure we can sustain our businesses long term,” said Rogers.

Workshops on “Wall Street” will focus on financial literacy and mental health.

“The Black men mental health is something we are really excited about; we have a Black mental health provider that is going to be talking to our men about the importance of mental health,” she said.

Organizers said this is a way to get people out and empower the local Black community.

“The Black community gets left behind in a lot of areas and doesn’t have access to a lot of these resources of information, so you know making sure everyone is going to be here. This is a good time to give them that information, have access to it,” said Green.

Anyone interested in going to the events can find a schedule on their website.