651 ARTS, one of Brooklyn’s preeminent organizations for African diasporic performing arts, is set to celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday, June 20, with their fourth annual “We Outside! A Brooklyn Juneteenth, Vol. IV.” Held at The Plaza at 300 Ashland in Downtown Brooklyn from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., “We Outside!” has become not only one of 651 ARTS’ flagship events, but also one of Brooklyn’s most anticipated Juneteenth performances.
“We Outside!” will be a free, multi-disciplinary feast for the eyes, ears, feet, and hearts. It is presented in collaboration with The Soapbox Presents and its “Stoop Sessions” series. The event is a grand-scale reimagining of the popular series originated on Harlem stoops, with The Plaza at 300 Ashland being dubbed by many as “Downtown Brooklyn’s biggest stoop.” The centerpiece of the “We Outside!” performances this year is “Stoop Session – Freedom Songs,” set to showcase a mixture of party anthems with protest music and songs of liberation.
“At a time when so many of our rights and liberties are being threatened, Saturday, June 20th we’ll gather on Ashland Plaza to celebrate freedom, but also to manifest freedom,” said Marija Abney, founder & executive director of The Soapbox Presents. “We have intentionally curated an intergenerational celebration that’s free of charge with the aim of giving access to all.”
Throughout the day, attendees will be treated to poets, dancers, singers, bands, and so much more. Some of the featured performers include rapper JSWISS, singer Black Buttafly, the Brooklyn United marching band, and several curated performance segments. Among those segments will include “Word on the Street,” an immersive mixture of poetry and music exploring memory, resistance, and freedom. Other segments scheduled for inclusion are “Young, Gifted and Black,” an HBCU-inspired performance of local marching bands and drumlines, and a dance showcase called, “The Cypher: Rep Your Style.”
“We Outside! was created to claim space for the collective practice of Black expression through joy, Black art and culture, and community,” said Toya A. Lillard, executive director of 651 ARTS. “What makes this event so powerful is that it not only commemorates Juneteenth but also reflects the longstanding traditions of how our communities come together through music, storytelling, movement, and collective joy.”
In addition to the performances, attendees can partake in “Made Black: A Juneteenth Marketplace.” A lineup of vendors from Black Brooklyn-based entrepreneurs, artisans and designers will sell their artwork, wellness products, and homemade clothing. The Marketplace is curated by Brooklyn Pop-Up.
651 ARTS was founded in 1988 as a platform to provide production and awareness of contemporary performing arts and culture of the African Diaspora for Brooklyn. While Saturday will be the fourth edition of “We Outside!,” this serves as 651 ARTS’ sixth Juneteenth celebration. Free RSVPs for “We Outside!” are available on Eventbrite.
