Liesbeth Powers/Inland 360 file photo
Darryl Singleton, center, a jazz faculty member at the Washington State University School of Music, leads a drum circle made up of community members attending last year’s Juneteenth celebration in Moscow’s Friendship Square.
Cuts to programs supporting Black students at the University of Idaho make Thursday's (June 19) Juneteenth celebration in Moscow especially imperative, organizers said.
The free, family-friendly gathering is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Friendship Square at Fourth and Main streets in downtown Moscow.
Also known as Freedom Day, the holiday celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in 1865, when Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, according to a now archived page on the U.S. Department of the Interior website. (See related story).
Its archived status means information will not be updated and links might not work, according to a note at the top of the page, and “ … any previously issued diversity, equity, inclusion or gender-related guidance on this webpage should be considered rescinded.”
Celebrating the history, traditions and contributions of Black Americans feels particularly important during this moment when institutions — from the University of Idaho to the federal government — are targeting those things, Chioma Heim, an organizer of the event, said.
“You cannot erase history,” Heim, a Pullman resident, said. “Even if you physically don’t have it written down somewhere, the way it happened is how it happened.”
Thursday's program includes remarks by keynote speaker Carrie Bullock Ben-Yisrael, of Pullman, about the significance of Juneteenth at this moment in time.
It also features food, dancing, a drum circle and spoken word presentations “showcasing different ways of celebrating Black culture,” Heim said, “so people can see the contributions of Black Americans and how we are a vibrant and vital part of the fabric of this country.”
The event was organized with support from groups including the Moscow Human Rights Commission; Washington State University African American Students Center; Palouse Empowering Diversity, Justice and Equity; Latah County Human Rights Task Force; and Unitarian Universalist Church, among others.
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The Colfax Chamber of Commerce Summer Movies in the Park series begins at dusk Thursday (June 19) with the 1952 musical “Singin’ in the Rain” at Schmuck Park along East Sixth Street.
The screening is dedicated to the memory of film historian, author and actor Robert Osborne, a Colfax native who hosted Turner Classic Movies on the network TV channel of the same name.
Complimentary popcorn, candy and water will be provided by the event’s presenter, Friends of the Library. Attendees should bring their own lawn chairs or blankets.
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The first-ever Palouse AnimeFest, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday (June 21), brings cosplay, fan merch and workshops to the Gladish Community and Cultural Center, 115 NW State St., Pullman.
The pop-culture convention is the brainchild of Gladish office manager Nikoe Valentine, who said they’ve loved going to comic cons and anime conventions since they were a teenager and missed them when they moved to the area to attend the University of Idaho.
The festival includes local vendors with fandom-inspired merchandise and special guests sharing their expertise and stories, including guest cosplayers Colleen Cosplay and Yvette Tremblay, Valentine said.
Attendees also can experience fan fiction and anime panels, games and workshops, a cosplay contest and a performance of the play “She Kills Monsters,” performed by the Gladish Players.
Admission is $10 general admission, $7 for students and $5 for children 12 and younger at bit.ly/palouseanime for the event, presented by Friends of Gladish.
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A Summer Block Party presented by The Salvation Army Lewiston is set for 4-6 p.m. Saturday (June 21) at 1220 21st St.
The all-ages festivities include free food and drinks, a bounce house, face painting, yard and water games, crafts and music.
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An exhibit featuring the skateboard collection of Moscow resident Tim Gregory and work by New York City photographer Lanna Apisukh opens Friday (June 20) at Moscow Contemporary in the Palouse Place Mall, 2012 W. Pullman Road.
A reception is set for 6-8 p.m. at the gallery for “Board Culture, the Skateboard as Cultural Expression,” which will be on display through Aug. 9.
Gregory, an artist and high school art teacher, began collecting skateboard decks when he worked in a skate shop as a teenager, according to a Moscow Contemporary news release. His collection now includes nearly 300 decks.
Apisukh, a photographer and former gymnast with a background in skateboarding, will exhibit photographs from her series “Everybody Skates.”
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“Floriade,” an exhibit featuring interpretations of art through flowers, coincides with a garden-to-table lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Bank Left Bistro & Gallery, 100 S. Bridge St. in Palouse.
Reservations for the lunch, $20, can be made by emailing chef Nelson Duran at na_durang@yahoo.com.
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Area musicians Will Fontaine, Jodi Marie Fisher and Mallard Blue are set to perform during A Wellness For All Fair from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday (June 24) in downtown Moscow.
The event, on the anniversary of the date Roe vs. Wade was overturned, was organized by a number of local groups including Bans Off Our Bodies — Moscow, Inland Oasis and the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Palouse.
It features a street dance, wellness vendors including sound baths and massage, and advocacy “for access to health care as a human right.”
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Pet owners can tap into their creative side while helping raise money for the Lewis Clark Animal Shelter with Art Uncorked Downtown’s Paint Your Pet: Foster Program Fundraiser next month.
The deadline is July 1 to submit a pet photo to be transferred to a canvas before the event, set for 6-9 p.m. July 11 at Art Uncorked, 628 Main St., Lewiston.
The in-person event, $50, includes custom canvas and supplies, snacks, a themed photobooth and a silent auction to support animals in need. Take-home kits, $30, include a custom kit with printed canvas and paint, available starting the night of the event.
Registration is at bit.ly/lcaspaintapet.
