Strong Family Celebrates Juneteenth at the Dallas Arboretum After Pandemic Cancels Two Family Reunions
Dallas, TX – About 80 members of the Strong family and friends celebrated Juneteenth at the Dallas Arboretum on Saturday, June 19, 2021. Strong family members are descendants of Civil War-era enslaved persons who were freed by conscientious objectors. The Strong family took a group photo to mark the occasion then spent the day viewing the 100 exquisite pieces from the Zimbabwean ZimSculpt collection displayed throughout the gardens while picnicking, and enjoying the Children’s Adventure area.
The pandemic canceled the 2020 and the 2021 Strong family reunions held on Strong family property in Kilgore, Texas, for 57 years. “This meeting on Juneteenth was like a mini-reunion for our family. Plus, this being the first observance of the national holiday made it a historic occasion for us to observe,” said Zenetta Strong Drew, Executive Director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day into law Thursday, June 17, 2021. Juneteenth became a federal holiday observed on Friday this year, since June 19 fell on a Saturday.
The Strong family members are descendants of Peter and Rebecca Strong, who were enslaved in Georgia as the Civil War was heating up. Three white couples from Coweta County, Georgia, who were conscientious objectors, decided to move from the plantation and agreed to free the slaves they took with them when they reached safety. Peter and Rebecca were among the enslaved who were freed in East Texas, where they settled.
A typical Strong family reunion includes 250 people from across the country. The three-day reunion consists of a banquet, picnic with fish fry and barbeque, and church service. The Strong family has made 23 annual scholarship awards to Sabine High School students in Gladewater, Texas, during the banquet.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre performed as headline artists for the 2000 Harare International Festival of the Arts in Harare, Zimbabwe (Africa), and Drew is excited to share the Zimbabwean art with her family.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre is celebrating its 45th anniversary. For more information visit www.DBDT.com.
ABOUT THE ZIMSCULPT EXHIBIT: The Dallas Arboretum presents the return of the international blockbuster exhibit ZimSculpt, a world-renowned collection of hand-selected, modern Zimbabwean stone sculptures. As the signature event of Summer of Sculpture, ZimSculpt runs through August 8.
ZimSculpt features the talent of several contemporary Zimbabwean artists with more than 100 hand-selected, exquisite sculptures artfully displayed throughout the garden. These contemporary pieces, created by the Shona people of Zimbabwe, are carved from various types of serpentine and semi-precious stone, often weighing tons, and can be as large as seven feet tall. ZimSculpt is passionate about promoting the work of some of the finest Zimbabwean sculptors. Therefore, as part of the exhibit, guests are welcome to watch artists and sculptors Passmore Mupindiko and Brighton Layson demonstrate their artistry on select days as they carve statues with chisels, hammers, files and sandpaper.
ABOUT DALLAS BLACK DANCE THEATRE: Ann Williams founded Dallas Black Dance Theatre in 1976. Melissa M. Young took over the helm as Artistic Director in 2018 after starting at the company as a dancer in 1994. Zenetta S. Drew has led the administrative side of the company since 1987 as Executive Director.
The mission of Dallas Black Dance Theatre is to create and produce contemporary modern dance at its highest level of artistic excellence through performances and educational programs that bridge cultures and reach diverse communities. The virtuosic dancers of Dallas Black Dance Theatre have mesmerized 5 million arts patrons across 16 countries, including two Olympic Cultural events.
