Kente Prepares For Closing With Juneteenth, Sale

The Kente Cultural Center is hoping for a large turnout at its last Juneteenth event before the organization closes its doors at the end of the month.

The celebration will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, with a rain date of June 22. Entertainers include drummers with Dwight Baldwin, Writer’s Block Ink, reggae with Guno, the Jim Hunter Group, tai chi with Morris Birch, and a reunion of Shades of Joy. Other activities include games, music, an inflatable castle, and vendors.

Juneteenth celebrates the freeing of the last slaves in the United States, which occurred on June 19 in Galveston, Texas.

The Kente Cultural Center, which opened in 1997 in response to a lack of African-American cultural activities in southeastern Connecticut, made the decision to close at the end of their 2013 fiscal year due to declining participation and a dwindling volunteer base.

Prior the closing, the center is also holding a “Freaky Friday” final closing sale at 5 p.m. on June 21 at their Bank Street location. Materials include office supplies and furniture, kitchen appliances, art supplies, an autographed Paul Goodnight 10th anniversary print, and free posters and computer games.

The center says most items will be sold for a dollar. Residents may also bring in their own bags and purchase a small bag of material for $5, a large bag for $10, and a garbage bag for $20.

For more information, contact the center at 860-444-1955.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.