Shirley Strothers and Eunice White of the Blackstorytelling League will share the origins and history of Juneteenth through storytelling, historical reenactment, and discussion. They will take the audience back to the original celebrations of Juneteenth and provide historical context to historical and current-day celebrations. After the reenactment and storytelling, the discussion will offer further insight and an opportunity for the audience to questions.

Shirley Strothers is a long-standing member of The Blackstorytelling League of Rochester as well as a member of our sister organization, Akwaaba, the Heritage Associates of Rochester, where she portrays personalities connected to the Underground Railroad such as Anna Murray Douglass, wife of Frederick Douglass. For many years, she worked for the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and is now happily retired.

Eunice White has been a member of the Blackstorytelling League of Rochester since 1998. White favors animal tales and often tells stories that reflect her upbringing in South Carolina, where the Gullah/Geechee dialect is spoken. Eunice is also a member of Akwaaba, the Heritage Associates, where she frequently portrays Sojourner Truth. White worked for New York State as a Labor Service Representative for 27 years until retirement.

Join us in person or virtually via the Rochester Public Library's YouTube channel: 
https://www.youtube.com/@RochesterPublicLibraryNY. 

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL ATTENDANCE