Loveland's 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration
Saturday, June 18th from 4pm- 8pm @ Foote Lagoon
Hosted by Heart & Sol and the MLK Loveland Events Committee
Join us for an educational and celebratory community event

Speakers & Performers:

Event Emcee- Jordan Pryor

Jordan Pryor is a Communications graduate student with Fitchburg State University. Having moved to Loveland a little more than a year ago, Pryor would label himself an “outdoorsy” person, regularly hiking Colorado’s beautiful landscape with his wife, Sarah. His previous work in Texas was centered around police reform for the BIPOC community, often attending and organizing rallies and caravans. Upon moving he looked to put his efforts into his new community, volunteering his time in both Fort Collins and Loveland to address issues surrounding EDI, city government, and police reform. Pryor wishes to continue his efforts while searching for new opportunities to help the growth of the city that has become his new home.

Dr. Charles Moore

Declared a “skyscraping tenor” in a review by Arkansan music critic Eric Harrison, Dr. Charles Moore hails from Kingston, Jamaica, and had his early music beginnings in the Boys Choir of the St. Richard’s Catholic School under the baton of internationally renowned conductor and musician Lloyd Hall. Dr. Moore received his Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Mississippi and his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees in Performance and Pedagogy from the Louisiana State University. His area of focus in his terminal degree was on the works of H. Leslie Adams. Recent Theater appearances include Ferrando in Così fan tutte, The Prince in Rusalka, Vuval in William Grant Still’s Troubled Island; Pat in David T. Little’s Dog Days; Pirelli in Sweeney Todd. Additionally, Dr. Moore was a participant in the 2020 NATS Intern Program. He is currently Voice Co-Area head at the University of Northern Colorado.

Courtney Caston

African-American soprano, Courtney Caston, was born and raised in Mableton, Georgia. In May 2019, Ms. Caston obtained her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Northern Colorado. Previous UNC Opera Theatre credits include Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte and Agathe (Cover) in Der Freischütz. During the summer of 2019, she traveled to Germany to perform with the professional opera company, Opera Classica Europa. In Germany, she performed as the High Priestess in Aida and Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte. Ms. Caston has also performed with the Simpson College Opera Theatre, the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, the Atlanta Opera High School Institute, and The Boston Conservatory Vocal/Choral Intensive Summer Program. In 2018, she performed in a concert as the title role in Aida with the Denver Young Artists Orchestra. In 2017, Ms. Caston obtained her undergraduate Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Simpson College. While attending Simpson College, she performed numerous roles for the Simpson College Opera Theatre. Her full roles include Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, and Giunone in La Calisto. Partial roles include Mimì in La Bohème, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and Alice Ford in Falstaff. She also advanced to the Finals of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition in both 2021 and 2022, where she placed in the top 10 each year. Ms. Caston is currently based in Greeley, Colorado.

Aaron T. Jenkins

Aaron T. Jenkins received his MM in Vocal Performance from Mannes School for Music at The New School in New York City and a BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Colorado Boulder. At Mannes, he performed with singers from all over the world with Mannes Opera, MACE Orchestra, New Amsterdam Opera. Aaron sang at Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, NY in the new production of Blue by Jeanine Tesori and Tazwell Thompson and Showboat by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. Other new opera works include Michael in the new musical The Battle, Not The War. Aaron performed at The Eklund Opera Program. Including roles like Bardolfo in Falstaff, Liberto in L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Bruce in Side by Side by Sondheim. He most recently played Wilson in CUNOW’s Workshop of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s “Intelligence” which will premiere at Houston Grand Opera in 2023. Aaron has settled in Colorado starting This Great Hope Initiative a vocal arts consulting firm.

Dr. Ray Black

Dr. Ray Black is an associate professor of African American Studies in the Ethnic Studies department at Colorado State University. He teaches classes on African American protest, film, and history including Critical Race Theory while being an advocate for increased representation of underrepresented and minoritized students. He is active in efforts to reform law enforcement, school resource officer programs, and continue the efforts of nineteenth-century abolitionists, twentieth-century protesters for civil rights, and twenty-first century protesters for equality and humanity. Dr. Black received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Evan Lowe

Evan has a Master of Social Work from Colorado State University. His interests include higher education, African-American community development, juvenile justice, youth and family development, and community poverty. He is a gifted speaker and we can't wait to share his talent and message with the community.

Ernest Washington

Mr. Ernest Washington first discovered his love for music as a young child in his hometown, St. Louis, Missouri. Through the years, Mr. Washington has displayed his passions for music with his singing, songwriting and producing.
Mr. Washington's voice has been featured at a variety of venues and events. In 2021, he had the honor of performing with the soulful Mr. Jeffrey Osborn. He also had the pleasure of opening for the dynamic group “Xscape" and the opportunity to perform a duet with national recording artist, Ms. Regina Bell. Mr. Washington also performed with the legendary "Temptations” in Las Vegas, Nevada and was a member of the Stellar Award winning "Colorado Mass Choir.”
In celebration of Black History month 2022, Mr. Washington took part in the musical, “The History of African American Music from 1920 to 1970” imitating the “Father of Soul” James Brown, Chuck Berry, Sam Cook and other outstanding performers during that era.
Mr. Washington has performed at festivals in Colorado that includes the “Black Arts Festival” and the “Five Points Jazz Festival.” He was invited in 2017 to perform the “National Anthem” live at a Nugget vs. Lakers basketball game. He also appeared on the hit television shows “Star Search" and "Amateur Night at the Apollo" in New York City.
Mr. Washington recently release two hit singles, "Ride and “My Only” from his new CD "Passions." He continues to perform musical renditions of jazz ranging from 60's into the 90's, Gospel as well as his own unique original music at private and public engagements.
Through his aspirations and dedication, Mr. Washington has not only made himself a popular performer throughout Colorado but has proven himself to be a powerful dynamic and charismatic performer across the United States.

Additional Speakers -
Thursday, June 16th  at 6pm @ Loveland Museum

Dr. George H. Junne, Jr.

Dr. Junne is Professor and Coordinator of Africana Studies at the University of Northern Colorado. His specialty is African American history and culture. He has written on the African American town of Dearfield, Colorado, and Ottoman African eunuchs. His book, The Black Eunuchs of the Ottoman Empire: Networks of Power in the Court of the Sultan, was published in 2016. During the summers, Dr. Junne is a fossil collector for the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology. He also works with Professor Emeritus Robert Brunswig and his UNC archaeology crews at North Park, Colorado, on Native American historical sites. He also works with Dr. Brunswig conducting archaeological and historical research on Dearfield, which was founded in 1910. They are co-writing a book on Dearfield. Since the year 2000, Junne has been a visiting professor at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Dr. William Anderson

Dr. William Anderson is Director of Teacher Education Program (T.E.P) and Clinical Professor at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. He earned his Ed.D from the University of Colorado at Denver in Education Leadership for Educational Equity. Dr. Anderson was a secondary Social Studies teacher for thirteen years in Denver Public Schools. He also worked in special education at the beginning of his career. Dr. Anderson leads professional development on culturally sustaining practices and emancipatory pedagogies nationally. He is a former member of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Teachers Advisory Council from 2014-2016, and National Geographic Teacher Advisory Council 2018-2020, and is currently member of EdLoc’s (Education Leaders of Color) Leadership Committee. Dr. Anderson is the founder and operator of Love 1st Education Consultation, and is a self-professed nerd, who loves to read, write, eat junk food, and laugh. A quote from Malcolm X best sums up Dr. Anderson’s education philosophy, “Of all our studies, history is best qualified to reward our research”.