On June 18th and 19th, the Root of Soul: J19th Fest, “ an immersive, weekend-long festival to celebrate African American emancipation and the vibrant culture that grew from Juneteenth,” will be held at the Exchange Park in Ladson. The event is hosted by the Grace Impact Development Center, whose goal is to “create, organize, incubate and fund programming in the areas of healthcare, housing, employment and education for at risk populations throughout Berkeley County.” The festival will include performances from Kid Capri, Ranky Tanky (the Grammy Award winning, Charleston-based quintet), Keke Wyatt, Jonathan McReynolds, Summerville native Kelontae Gavin, and DJ SNS. The event will also include food trucks, vendors, an exhibit hall, a dance competition, the “Largest Cupid Shuffle ever,” panel discussions, workshops, book discussion/signing, and more. Organizers says the festival is open to all cultures, but will “specifically target the national African American community and seek to galvanize the rising awareness, popularity and pride in celebrating the Juneteenth holiday.” For more information, visit rootofsoulfestival.com.
