Dana School of Music celebrates Juneteenth in song
June 19, 2020
In celebration of Juneteenth, YSU’s Dana School of Music released a video performance of Queen Latifah’s “I Know Where I’ve Been” Friday, June 19.
“All of us were able to collectively use our voices to empathize with those who have suffered systemic injustices in our country and around the world,” Voices of YSU director Daniel Keown said. “Using art and music as a vehicle to listen [allows us to] understand and transform a society that demands significant change for equality.”
The video performance features adjunct professor of voice and director of the YSU Gospel Choir Jaron LeGrair singing the popular song from the musical “Hairspray.” He was joined by members of Voices of YSU, a vocal ensemble comprised of a diverse group of YSU students that are focused on artistic exploration, musical excellence, and impactful, creative-based social initiatives that serve the community.
Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the last remaining African-American slaves were officially freed over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.