Juneteenth, observed each year on June 19, marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Texas to enforce freedom for the last enslaved Black Americans — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Celebrated by Black communities since the late 19th century, Juneteenth is both a day of reflection on the history of slavery and ongoing fight for equality and a day of rejoicing — a celebration of Black freedom, culture and resilience across generations.
As part of this year’s celebration, on Friday, June 20, Hudson River Park presents Ladies of Hip Hop Dance Collaborative & Friends for an evening sharing the legacy and evolution of Black American dance. This evening of dance celebrates the innovation, resistance and cultural brilliance of Black American movement traditions — from Lindy Hop, jazz and tap to Hip-Hop, House and beyond.
In advance of the performance, we spoke with Michele Byrd-McPhee, Founder and Executive Director of Ladies of Hip Hop (LOHH), to learn more about the vision behind this program and what it means to honor Black culture through dance.
An Intergenerational Celebration of Black Dance
The evening’s performance will highlight the breadth and depth of Black American movement traditions, spanning multiple eras and styles. For Byrd-McPhee, this performance is rooted in the intergenerational nature of Black dance — traditions that have always been shared, taught and sustained within community:
“We have some people that will be doing things like crumping and litefeet. Those are maybe the newer generation… This is very much part of Black culture. I grew up dancing with my mom, my aunts, my uncles, my grandmother, my great-grandmother at the barbecue.”
“These dances are social dances and they’ve been done in community and passed down generation to generation. So keeping those connections going forward no matter where we are in our careers is very important.”
Building Community, Not Scarcity
This program brings together both longtime collaborators and emerging artists, reflecting LOHH’s commitment to creating opportunities while honoring a full spectrum of dance styles and legacies.
“I think about not having a scarcity mindset in terms of: I have this opportunity, which is a great opportunity. I love working with [the Park] and what can I do to share this space and this time with people who are connected to me. There’s so many of us doing this work that have been doing it for years that still aren’t getting the same opportunities.”
This philosophy extends to honoring regional variations within Black American dance traditions as well:
“We have dances in Philly that have the same names in New York but are totally different dances. And so the importance of allowing all of the different iterations and spaces to show up on stage, but show how we’re all still connected no matter where we are.”
Creating Spaces of Connection in Honoring the Past
In celebrating these movement traditions, Byrd-McPhee emphasizes that Black American dance continues to thrive despite the painful history from which it emerged:
“We need to be able to talk about enslavement and all these things that people were in pain… and here’s some things that came out of that and now let’s celebrate together.”
For this event, collaborations like this one create opportunities to foster understanding, connection and healing:
“I’m looking for places where we intersect and where we connect as opposed to where we divide… Here’s a moment where, yes, we have to remind ourselves of the history so that we don’t repeat the thing, and then we can invite a space that brings us together as a whole.”
We hope you’ll join us on June 20 as we honor the history and resilience of Black American dance, and celebrate the joy, brilliance and connection it continues to inspire across generations.
About Ladies of Hip Hop
Founded in New York City, Ladies of Hip Hop (LOHH) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls and women in Hip-Hop culture. A global organization rooted in New York City, LOHH reclaims and transforms spaces to provide all women a platform to be heard, seen, respected, and celebrated within the greater Hip-Hop and arts community. By providing resources and opportunities such as dance training, performance showcasing, mentorships, educational programs, career development support, and networking, we are building the next generation of hip-hop’s changemakers.