Lauren halsey's juneteenth celebration in los angeles: art, affinity and african american pride

In Los Angeles, artist Lauren Halsey's Juneteenth celebration at the sister dreamer sculpture park in South L.A. blended Art, community and African American pride in a joyous, record-breaking attempt.

Commemorating freedom, making history

On June 19, hundreds of Angelenos gathered at Halsey's 2,100-square-foot outdoor sculpture park to celebrate the 156th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation's announcement in Galveston, Texas. Within the park's Afrofuturist installations, a 3 p.m. attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest Soul Train line brought the crowd together in dance, infusing the proceedings with a sense of effervescence befitting the date's historic nature.

Just outside the park's boundaries, a full-on block party lasted well into the afternoon, with neighbors and far-traveling fans of Halsey's work alike dancing to funk, shooting hoops, taking in a performance from the Sisters of Watts cheerleading squad, and sampling fare from trucks dispensing everything from BBQ to Afro-Caribbean cuisine to Southern-style fried fish and soul food from Hot Grease, a Black, queer-owned and women-led pop-up based in Orange County.

For Kahbia Sada, a 29-year-old puppeteer, sculptor and embroidery artist in attendance, the event's intersection of Art and affinity felt particularly meaningful.