The Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center celebrated Juneteenth on Thursday with musical performances, art and clothing vendor booths, and discussions about the holiday’s legacy as the center marked Malcolm X’s 100th birthday.
The Shabazz Center held programming throughout the afternoon and continued into the evening on June 19. Included on the list of performers were Ayanna Gregory, Lyrical Faith, AMXXR, Jordan Mendez, Arnstar, Ayanna Irish, and Kahlil Bell. Tiffany Jackson, Tamara Payne, and Brian Fuller attended to speak on an author panel and sign books.
Juneteenth, celebrated each year on June 19, marks the anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1965.
Rev. Dr. Mother Khoshhali, a holistic doctor, ran a table at the event dedicated to self-reflection, self-love, and education about the history of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz, his wife and a prominent Civil Rights advocate. Khoshhali knew Shabazz, who died in 1997, as a mentor and friend.
Khoshhali discussed the importance of educating young people about Juneteenth and passing on the history of slavery and emancipation in the United States.
“The youth have to know about Juneteenth. They have to know, because if they forget, then it’s gonna repeat itself,” Khoshhali said. “If the tree doesn’t have the roots, the whole thing is going to topple over.”
Khoshhali instructed visitors to her table to draw a picture of themselves and write three things they think they can bring to the world. For Khoshhali, Juneteenth is a day of engaging critically with the violent history of chattel slavery and anti-Black racism in the United States, celebrating freedom and forefronting love.
“We can’t get stuck, we have to keep moving, we have to keep evolving,” Khoshhali said. “Acknowledge the past. What are we going to do about it? How are we going to learn from it and keep moving?”
Though Thursday’s event served as a celebration of Juneteenth, it stands as part of a larger slate of programming throughout the year celebrating the life and legacy of Civil Rights leader Malcolm X, who would have turned 100 in May. Jordan Mendez, a youth ambassador for the Shabazz Center, said he is focused on getting young people involved in learning about Juneteenth and engaging with the life and legacy of Malcolm X.
“It’s not enough to merely preserve the legacy; we have to inspire people to live it. A lot of our education revolves around encouraging people to lie in the legacy, and that starts with a strong understanding of the foundation of what Malcolm X stood for,” Mendez said. “After years and years of defamation and especially rising anti-intellectualism as we see in the current culture, we have to put in a conscious effort to make sure that’s known, what he stood for as a person.”
The Shabazz Center was founded by Shabazz herself and is built at the same location where Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965. The center is dedicated to preserving Malcolm X’s legacy of activism and intellectual work.
Malcolm X’s daughter, Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz, sits on the center’s board today and delivered the opening remarks at the event on Thursday.
“Here at the center, there are so many different opportunities to bring education, to bring cultures together, understanding, and community,” said Candace Sandy, an author and Senior Vice President at Mercury Public Affairs. “What is fantastic about all these programs is bringing folks … to just be in this space and to connect with others who are humanitarians and are purpose-driven with their own personal lives.”
The vendors at Thursday’s event brought specialty merchandise celebrating the legacy of Juneteenth and Malcolm X, with some items being completely handcrafted. Juneteenth 2025 marked the fourth year of the holiday’s federal recognition, though Juneteenth has been widely celebrated since 1866, the year after slavery officially ended in the United States.
Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth
Also in Manhattan, hundreds enjoyed an afternoon of great music on the Great White Way during the “Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth” concert in Times Square.
The huge free concert saw performances from the casts of 15 different Broadway shows: “& Juliet”; “Boop! The Musical”; “Buena Vista Social Club”; “Chicago”; “Gypsy”; “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”; “Hell’s Kitchen”; “The Lion King”; “MJ”; “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”; “Pirates! The Penzance Musical”; “Ragtime”; “Real Women Have Curves”; “Six: The Musical”; “Wicked”; and the return of the kids of Young Gifted and Broadway.
Renowned actor Andre De Shields was also honored for his 50-year career that included originating roles in “The Wiz,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, “The Full Monty” and “Hadestown.”
