The PWRTRC 2024 Juneteenth Literacy Music Festival

Our mission at the Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read Campaign is rooted in the goal of ensuring that scholars of the African diaspora read on or above grade level. One of our core strategies involves hosting culturally relevant community events to promote literacy and emphasize the importance of reading within the African community.The Juneteenth Literacy Festival is a vital component of our community engagement efforts, aiming to celebrate African culture, raise awareness about the importance of literacy, and create a sense of unity and empowerment.

The Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read Campaign

Join us at The PWRTRC Juneteenth Literacy Music Festival for a day of celebrating Black culture through music, literature, and community.

Albert Whitted Park

The PWRTRC Juneteenth Literacy Festival

The PWRTRC Juneteenth Literacy Festival will be on June 13-16 and June 22 in St. Pete! Music, dance, education and celebrations of freedom.

The Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read Campaign will be hosting a Juneteenth Music Festival from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Albert Whitted Park, 480 Bayshore Drive, in St. Petersburg. Children ages 0 to 12 are free! The live outdoor concert will feature headliner Shawn Brown, one of the world’s top Hammond organ jazz musicians. The festival will also feature Tampa’s very own Beat Down Band, which features a signature sound that has defined the landscape of today’s R&B and soul music scene; St. Petersburg-born artist Siobhan Monique, who’s classically trained voice belts out music that she defines as “Ancestral Funk” and has fostered a movement to create change by bringing people together; and Grammy Nominated, 3x NAACP Image Award nominated and BILLBOARD charting artist Nathan Mitchell, who has become one of the most respected “musical storytellers” in the contemporary jazz industry. In addition, there will be a special Kids Corner with several activities for children of all ages, including a playground, face painting, a hockey shooting rink hosted by our very own Tampa Bay Lightning, and appearances by superhero characters like Marvel Entertainment’s Black Panther and Captain America! The festival is one of several activities hosted in June by the Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read Campaign as part of an overall Juneteenth Literacy Festival. Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is celebrated annually throughout the nation on June 19 and recognizes when the last remaining enslaved people in the Confederacy learned of their freedom. Through their strength and example, The Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read Campaign has made it the organization’s mission to boldly take strides to make sure that our African youth receive the necessary literacy skills that will allow them to succeed and continue the legacy set by those before us. Funds raised during the music festival will assist with that effort. The Phyllis Wheatley Rise to Read Campaign’s 2024 Juneteenth Literacy Festival and its activities are being sponsored by City of St. Petersburg, Duke Energy, Pinellas County Schools, Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties, St. Petersburg Police Department, Pinellas Education Foundation, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, Helios Foundation, Tampa Bay Rays, Lawson Funeral Home and Smith Funeral Home. “This event was designed to provide equal opportunity for enjoyment by all participants. If you would like to request accessibility assistance for particular aids or services pursuant to disability laws, please contact the event planner at (727-798-5361). You can contact the City of St Petersburg Community Affairs Division if you unable to connect with the event planner regarding accessible accommodations at (727) 893-7345 or (727) 892-5259 TDD/TTY”

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