LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021, but the history goes back much further than that.
At the Lyric Theatre in Lexington, they're hoping to shed light on the history and culture that surrounds the holiday through their Juneteenth programming.
The Lyric Theatre first opened in the 1940s as a place for the Black community to gather. Director Christian Adair is encouraging everyone from every walk of life to attend their program Thursday evening.
There will be a vendor fair starting at 4 p.m. and live performances will start at 7 p.m.
Adair says the program is inspired by Maya Angelou's poem 'And Still I Rise.'
Lyric's program is called 'And We Still Dance."
He says their dance performances will help tell the history of the holiday.
"Juneteenth is really to celebrate what America truly was about, and what it's becoming, and we have a ways to go," said Adair. "I don't know the saying but we can't let the ball roll back down the hill, so we have some work to do."
The event is free and open to the public, although seating in the theater is limited.
