Photos: Poetry, dance and music highlight Juneteenth celebrations

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Angel Marshal, 15, tries "double dutch" jumprope for the first time at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival on Saturday, at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Jasmine Wheeler with Rhythm Against Society dance group performs at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Performance Poet Ashley Finley, on the web at "Finding Finley.com" recites her poem "Today" at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
Drake Bratton, left, Mar'Kiece Gross, Zaire Steward Phillip Petty and Micah Petty were all honored for their service as former and current Juneteenth royalty and standouts at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival on Saturday at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
l-r Konvrtd Voices singers Michael Young, Kimberly Robinson, D'Adrieanna Roberts and Anthony Robinson perform at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune
"Three years ago, it was my mission to reclaim my identity and to be proud of who I was becoming," said Asthma Ali Dahir, 18, who was crowned Miss Africa Utah. Dahir is a surgical technology student at Salt Lake Community College and is headed to Westminster on a full scholarship to study neuroscience pre-Med this fall. "Allow me to be one of the role models I never had," Dahir told the crowd of youth at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

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Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Angel Marshal, 15, tries "double dutch" jumprope for the first time at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival on Saturday, at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Jasmine Wheeler with Rhythm Against Society dance group performs at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Performance Poet Ashley Finley, on the web at "Finding Finley.com" recites her poem "Today" at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Drake Bratton, left, Mar'Kiece Gross, Zaire Steward Phillip Petty and Micah Petty were all honored for their service as former and current Juneteenth royalty and standouts at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival on Saturday at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune l-r Konvrtd Voices singers Michael Young, Kimberly Robinson, D'Adrieanna Roberts and Anthony Robinson perform at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "Three years ago, it was my mission to reclaim my identity and to be proud of who I was becoming," said Asthma Ali Dahir, 18, who was crowned Miss Africa Utah. Dahir is a surgical technology student at Salt Lake Community College and is headed to Westminster on a full scholarship to study neuroscience pre-Med this fall. "Allow me to be one of the role models I never had," Dahir told the crowd of youth at the 28th Annual Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival, Saturday, June 18, 2017 at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· June 18, 2017 12:59 am

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Poets, dancers, singers and more came together Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, in the United States.

The theme for the 28th annual Utah Juneteenth Freedom and Heritage Festival is "The Power of Now." It kicked off Friday with a State of Black Utah town hall and continues Sunday with additional festivities at the Odgen City Amphitheater.