Last Saturday for the first time in history, Juneteenth (also called Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day, and Emancipation Day) was celebrated as a National Holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in 1865.
For this occasion, G.O. See The City organized an amazing event at the Bronze Kingdom Museum, celebrating the black culture with traditional African music, exquisite food, entertainment, and vendors. The event started around 10am until 7pm and was attended by more than 700 people, beating any previous record of the museum: A true success for G.O. See The City and the Bronze Kingdom.
Aneshai Smith, Founder & CEO of G.O. See The City, said “G.O. See The City aims to increase foot traffic and connect tourists and locals to events. The fact that we were able to organize all of this in only 2 weeks is amazing. I am truly grateful to the Bronze Kingdom Museum for allowing us to host the Juneteenth celebration here. The success of this event is a testament to what the G.O. See The City platform can do.”
During the day, the Serengeti restaurant – located inside the museum – offered a delicious seafood brunch, along with many other specialties. The entire day was animated by live music, performers – such as a drum and dance performer – and various vendors located in front of the museum’s entrance. The museum of black heritage offered tickets for a discounted price, giving anybody the opportunity to discover the rich history of African Americans.
From 12pm to 4pm, the Bronze Kingdom Museum hosted the UNITY Juneteenth Virtual Celebration. Sponsored by the Orlando Magic and PEPSICO, the virtual panel was focused on the theme “Black Excellence: A State of Mind.” Several innovators and leaders participated in the discussion, including Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, Nadine Mentor – Founder and President of Mentor Holdings & Investments and Founder, and Congresswoman Val Demings. The entire panel discussion has been recorded live and streamed via zoom for the public to join. You can watch it here.
We invite you to join us for the UNITY Juneteenth Virtual Celebration, taking place on Saturday, June 19, 2021, from 12-4 p.m. This year's conversation theme is “Black Excellence: A State of Mind."
— Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings (@OCFLMayor) June 17, 2021
Residents can register to watch by visiting https://t.co/DvEepeE2uV. pic.twitter.com/DdnWtlslje
… And the celebration continued throughout the entire afternoon. At 6pm, Kool from Kool & the Gang made his appearance at the museum to sign autographs.
The successful event had a huge media coverage, with Fox 35 News and Channel 13 News covering the event. Speaking with Spectrum News, Bronze Kingdom’s owner Mr. Rawlvan R. Bennet declared “Too often, African American culture has been told as starting with slavery, OK? No, no, no, that’s what it is, we come from kings and queens and our culture and history starts in Africa.”
During the event, G.O. See The City in partnership with Seventeen Wishes Foundation was pleased to award a $400 scholarship to Jessie, a brilliant UCF student majoring in marketing. Jessie participated in our scholarship giveaway that took place from April 15 until May 31. To be considered for the scholarship, participants had to complete fun challenges throughout FL posted on G.O. See The City official social media profiles. With her commitment, Jessie has contributed to the recovery of the local community by visiting dozens of small businesses!
The event had an unbelievable success and contributed to spreading awareness around the African American culture and the preciousness of its black heritage.
