Features Juneteeth theatrical performance

Ohio University Southern hosted their debut Culture & Heritage Festival on Saturday, featuring live music, a theatrical performance, community organizations, children’s activities and vendors.

The seven-hour event was geared to the lead up to Monday’s Juneteenth holiday and was part of part of the Appalachian Freedom Heritage Tourism Initiative, which celebrates the history of the Underground Railroad in Appalachian communities.

Music was provided by Renee Stewart, Robert Lomax and Honey Dipped, while the event culminated in a live performance of “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Historical Legacies,” written and directed by Belinda Brown, of Ironton.

The production, a tribute to African American contributors to U.S. history, featured portrayals of the lives of Harriet Tubman, Medgar Evars, Mahalia Jackson and others in which their life stories were retold in first person.