PALM COAST, Fla. (June 19, 2023) – While so much of Juneteenth is focused on the singular day itself, it’s so much more than just a date on the calendar for the members of the African American Cultural Center and Museum.
Staging their Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, the cultural center located on US 1 in Palm Coast, was overflowing with attendees enjoying the programming, mingling with friends and shopping from local Black-owned businesses.
Organizing the event for her fourth year, Imani Kinshasa, is training the next generation of Black youth to step into her shoes by sharing her vision through the organization.
“Each year we make sure that we pull children in, doing part of the program,” said Kinshasa. “Very important I think, if an organization is to grow, we need to have our children.”
Learning on the job, intern Savannah Ryan stayed focused, ensuring the activities went smoothly.
“What she has been doing today is following me and learning about what I’m doing and how I’m doing it. I would love it to be her job next year,” Kinshasa said with obvious pride.
A Broader Conversation
Working with the next generation is nothing new to the AACS – they’ve been staging talent shows, history programming, and incorporating their members’ children and grandchildren into the work flow for years, but now, there’s an urgency about it. There’s a need to ensure Black youth have a knowledge and understanding of their very foundation as the country addresses racial and ethnic issues in a different way.
“I think it’s very important, if people are to survive, they need to know their history. If they don’t know their history, then they cannot progress,” said Kinshasa. “Of course, it’s all about growing on the foundation that’s been laid. Our children need to know how strong that foundation is.”
It is her hope that one day history and the conversation bridging the gaps, will be more commonplace.
“I would hope that there would be a way of doing this. I think the more we talk to people and people of different races and ethnic groups or whatever, so that we can understand that we are all people. We all have our very different challenges, but we are in fact all one people, wanting the same thing.”
Knowledge is power and starting with a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence is part of meeting and exceeding personal expectations, noted AACS President Joe Jones. He is concerned about the challenges to opportunities for students to learn about the African American experience and the repercussions within society as a whole, as a result.
“It’s critical. Not just this particular event, but the knowledge and celebration of the culture of African people and descendants of African people,” said Jones.
“I think you’re going to have to identify and call out racism and bigotry where you see it. It’s the majority community of goodwill that need to call that out. It’s more than just a political point of view, it’s extremely dangerous to have that kind of attitude toward other people’s cultures.”
Jones was pleased to welcome Palm Coast Mayor David Aflin to the celebration, and appreciated the respect his presence symbolized.
“The mayor was here this morning. It doesn’t matter what the political affiliation is. I think it’s important that the mayor of a city recognize and understands the importance, he put a city focus on what we’re trying to do here.”
“Juneteenth inspires us to embrace new beginnings,” said Mayor Alfin. “The African American culture is an important pillar on which we build a diverse collaboration and stronger community for the future.”
Sustainability for the Future
Juneteenth is part of a larger program for the cultural center according to Meshella Woods, interim first vice president of the African American Cultural Society.
“The AACS just a few weeks ago, started an internship program for youth, so we have six young people who are working with us in different areas of marketing and promotions, and in the case of Savannah, curation,” shared Woods who has also served as the organization’s grant writer and curator.
“They will be at every event we have from here, forward, to learn about AACS and how to host an event, that type of thing. She’ll (Savannah Ryan) also be curating a couple of things coming up.”
Among Ryan’s projects will be the upcoming ‘The Summer of 1969’ exhibit, following the Black Woodstock Summer of Soul and Harlem Cultural Festival, featuring fashion, history, and culture.
“This is something that she’s going to be learning about. She’s got a good start, she’s been doing some research,” added Woods. “It will be interesting to see how that evolves.”
“Another interesting thing is we’re getting another Smithsonian exhibit. It’s called ‘Play Ball: In the Barrios and the Big Leagues’. It’s going to be November 25, 2023 – February 25, 2024. We intend to include the community in that.”
Ryan, a recent graduate of Daytona State College and future University of Central Florida student is building her resume while gaining valuable project management experience.
“This opportunity is helping me see what opportunities I have in the future,” said Ryan, the official curatorial intern. “I do want to focus on my art and have an art career. I was thinking of maybe going in curating, maybe.”
“In today’s programming I’m basically learning how things are run here and they do events. I hope I do a good job on it (Summer of 1969). I just want people to learn from this historical event. It’s a really interesting story. History repeats so it’s really important to learn about why things happened, and stop things from happening again. Also, you get to learn where you came from.”
The offspring of well-known artists Weldon and Richlin Ryan, Savannah is inspired by their example and love for the arts and history.
“We encouraged our children to find something they are passionate about and make that their life’s work,” said Richlin Burnett-Ryan, a full-time artist and owner of Calypso Art Gallery.
“We knew that her passion was art so I’m really pleased that she’s pursuing it,” she said.
As the organization hosts more culturally diverse events, Sybil Dodson Lucas, Director of Curatorial Affairs for the African American Cultural Society sees the inclusion of all ethnic groups across Flagler County as a chance to find common ground while involving the next generation who will carry the torch forward.
“There are many clubs here in Palm Coast and it’s an opportunity to share culture, to share the commonality of what people enjoy,” she said.
“I think that we’ve attracted an awful lot of talent. One of the things we have to recognize is that we have the talent. We have to bring in the young talent. If we don’t bring in the young Miss Ryans, there’ll be no one to tell our story.”
