Announcing Juneteenth: The Movement

Iowa PBS, Iowa Public Radio and xBk are excited to announce Juneteenth: The Movement, a two-hour live television, radio and digital event celebrating the Juneteenth holiday. This special live multimedia experience will occur one-time only on June 19 from 7-9 p.m. on Iowa PBS, Iowa Public Radio News/Studio One signals and livestreaming on YouTube and the Facebook event.

“xBk is a venue that actively works to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for artists and guests. We feel it is important to lift up Iowa’s BIPOC communities every day,” said xBk owner Tobi Parks. “It felt imperative to create an event for Juneteenth that highlights and celebrates the phenomenal artistry of Iowa’s Black community and culture.”

This live event will feature an array of musical performances, including the worldwide premiere of “Bluebird,” a new song by The Finesse and an exclusive performance from the Isiserettes. Co-hosted by Madison Ray of The Finesse and IPR's Studio One host Cece Mitchell, the virtual event also features Iowa musical and spoken word performers: Andre Davis, Emmett Phillips, Entre, James Tutson, Rae Fehring, Spayce, Rated G, Tina Haase Findlay and Young Old Soul.  

"We are elated to be working with wonderful partners to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday with our statewide audiences," said Molly Phillips, executive director and general manager of Iowa PBS. "With soul, R&B, Motown, gospel and more, plus a spoken word performance, everyone will find something to enjoy while honoring this meaningful historical anniversary."

“We are thrilled to bring the sounds of Juneteenth to our airwaves,” said IPR Music Program Director, Al Schares. “The artist lineup is one that we’re really proud of, and we think listeners all over the state and beyond will enjoy.”

Juneteenth: The Movement - How to watch and listen:

Date: Saturday, June 19
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Iowa PBS: Tune into statewide Iowa PBS’s primary channel or livestream on pbs.org or the PBS Video App.

Iowa Public Radio: Tune into your local News/Studio One station (90.1 FM in Central Iowa, 90.9 FM in Eastern Iowa) or listen via iowapublicradio.org or the IPR app.

Online: Livestreaming on Iowa PBS, IPR and xBk YouTube channels and Facebook event.

Learn more at  iowapublicradio.org and xbklive.com.