2025 Juneteenth Heritage Jubilee Media
The African dance troupe founded by Danny Diallo Hinds
Br. John Anderson: Motivational speaker, educator, tribute vocalist and oral historian
Carole Irangi: She is a Kenyan entrepreneur who sells FABULOUS African clothing, jewelry and various African decor items. She’s been a part of BAAC’s Juneteenth celebrations since 2024
Cast Photo
Vincent and Leah, hosts of the program this year
Danny Diallo Hinds: African drummer, dancer, educator and founder of Art in Motion. He never fails to work the crowd and inject such energy and vitality to our program
GAP: Feeling the GAP (Gena, Angela & Phyllis) are a trio of Black women in the arts with various experiences and perspectives who have come together to lend their voices and insights to create community, evoke curiosity and honor their ancestors through performance, poetry, storytelling and song, filling and feeling the gap between yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Gena Bardwell: A KC native, living and working in New York as an actor, professor and chair for the Department of Speech and Communication at Touro University. Here, she is portraying Mariah Vaughn, a woman of Weston who is Angela’s 3rd great-grandmother (my 4th)
Joy Johnson: Delivering the land acknowledgement address
N.M. Shabazz Ed.D. : N.M. Shabazz, Ed.D., is an educator, historian, and author. Holding a doctorate in Educational Leadership from St. Louis University and an M.A. in Urban Education from Langston University, Dr. Shabazz is often called the “Black Prometheus” for bringing knowledge and understanding to the masses, a legacy inspired by his parents, who transformed from farmer and sharecropper into educators themselves. Here, he portrays B.J. Guthrie, Reverend of the Second Missionary Baptist Church, the first colored church in Weston
Michelle Cook: Michelle Cook is an educator and historian. In 2022, after a decade of researching the history of marginalized groups in her own community, she co-founded The Salus Populi Project to bring attention to the experiences of African American veterans of the Union Army. Since 2016, Michelle has presented her research findings in lectures to historical societies, community organizations, and museums whose missions support restorative justice initiatives. Here, she is portraying Weston historical figure, Russella Warner Price, the wife of Union Col. James A. Price, who was instrumental in providing housing on Blackhawk Street for the newly emancipated.
