Pointillism Jazz Consort holds free Baltimore show to celebrate Juneteenth

BALTIMORE - Juneteenth is a federal holiday that marks the end of slavery in the United States.

On Monday, across the nation, the holiday is being celebrated.

To mark the day, the Pointillism Jazz Consort held a free performance through dance and art at the Baltimore National Heritage Area.

Clusters of people gathered to watch a sequence of performances that Suzanne Winland says is to celebrate freedom for all slaves through music, dance and art, plus, spoken word.

"It reaches people like music, music and dance reach people in a way that words don't often reach them," Winland said.

While the end of slavery celebrations is  new in many parts of the country, these dancers are telling stories of the past and present state of the African American experience dating back to slavery

"Protests, sit-ins, letter writing, marches are really poignant, for me, to portray to bring the history alive," Winland said.

The Juneteenth holiday observance was on full display in the grassy area.

"None of us are free until we are all free, yep amen," Executive Director Ivry Newsome said.

The free powerful performance called passage "A Juneteenth Journey" was a demonstration aimed at uniting all.

"Keep hope alive by embracing everyone and their differences," said instructor Erica Smith.