So Juneteenth is a federal holiday.

I think it's a really important milestone.

There are some people who are concerned.

I think that it kind of waters down our own kind of internal cultural celebration of it.

I imagine that for you kinda drilling down on that.

Preserving it as this internal celebration, of this really important date, is kind of the focus of what you're doing at the museum.

- Yeah, I think that's right.

I think it's critically important for us to understand how certain occasions points in history are particularly significant to African-Americans and to the African-American community.

And to lift those kinda up.

Despite what other folks may think about it's perceived relevance or what have you.

But certainly for our community, it's an important day.

And having been made at a federal holiday last year perhaps an even more important one, for us to make sure that folks know why that is.

You know, what the significance of it is.

- Yeah.

So what will people experience at the museum?

- So, you know, we for the last several years have been trying to get this point out to our colleagues in the museum field particularly African American museum field.

And we started out with just a few of us wanting to do something together to celebrate this now holiday.

And so we gathered together and we put together a kind of video presentation.

Where each of our cities contribute something about how Juneteenth was particularly resident in our communities, right?

And so over the years, this is a third year.

We're now up to nine this year, of other museums who are doing this and on I guess it is on Juneteenth at one o'clock this will air on our website and also on DP TV's website this sort of hour long presentation.

This is a montage of five or so minutes from each of the cities talking about Juneteenth and what it might, what it means to them.

- Yeah.

And so what does that mean for us here in Detroit?

What's what's the - Well, here in Detroit, we'll see, you know we'll show that video, people will have it that we'll have access to it at one o'clock on the 19th.

As well as at three o'clock here in the museum and online.

So people who are in the museum will be able to see that in our theater but our celebration is actually starting the day before.

So we are doing a underground railroad treasure hunt.

Actually in Greek town that will happen on the 18th from 10 to four.

Different sites of historical significance particularly as it relates to freedom of theme of this particular holiday will be highlighted, in this treasure hunt where folks will be able to discover certain places in the city that are particularly important to African Americans.

It's sponsored with, in it conducted with the Michigan Underground Railroad Exploratory Collective which is one of our affiliates.

We then on the 19th, we have a member of our community partners that same day.

In the museum will be really focusing on things like the partners included Trade Chapter, for example.

The League of Women Voters or The Craft Insurance Company which ensures a lot of our homes and other properties here.

Museums store features unique and classical imagery, et cetera.

And then we're gonna do a concert called Spirit Soar, which basically translates all of this to music.

- Yeah.

- Where we'll have a musical presentation of different kinds of music where freedom and the same as is the subject.

- I kind of feel like we still have a lot of education to do - We do.

- of African American people and the rest of the population about what this commemorates and why it matters.

I think there's still a lot of confusion about that.

- Sure, you know, it is the occasion, I guess it's the story.

It marks a day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, right?

1865 to take control of the state, ensure that all enslaved people were freed.

However, this was months after the emancipation proclamation had happened.

So these soldiers were just really finding out about this months later.

And you know, in our internet world or social media world, where you could find out about anything instantaneously, that idea of people having been free for some time according to the law, but not actually knowing about it.

Something that may not seem as what significant, important or a big deal to us living today.

But back then, it was huge, that they would find out about this and really an occasion for celebration, right?

But it had gotten to them and gotten to their communities, right?

- And it's a reminder of, I think not taking for granted the idea of freedom even when it seems you've won, or it seems- - Right.

- You've reached that point.

There's always more work to do.

- There absolutely is, and I think our present moment is really highlighting that, isn't it?

You know, the things that are happening in our country now really demonstrate how much freedom is something that we must fight for, you know, to preserve every day, right?

And otherwise they are taken away as we were seeing in the political process and climate that we find ourselves in.

- Yeah.

What are the other museums that are participating in this national?

- Well, I know you were gonna ask me that, and I don't have the list in front of me, unfortunately.

- OK.

- But I do know that the DuSable in Chicago, the museum in Seattle.

My former home, the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh.

The National Civil Rights Museum are among them.

I don't have the complete list though.

- Yeah, yeah.

And that's a, I mean, that's significant too.

This idea of kind of linking arms on this first year of the federal holiday to say these are the places that will lead the celebration, but also wanna shape the narrative about how this is important.

- I think it's important too in each of those cities, you know their public television stations will also be airing this sort of hour long presentation.

So that we reach, you know really literally thousands of people around the country.

And it's a way, I think that African American museums are increasingly starting to think about themselves as vehicles beyond our walls.

Where we can make a difference, make an influence, on topics that we really care about.

So.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Initiative, I think - Yeah, we've only got about 30 seconds left, but I wanna talk about the state of the museum after the pandemic.

I know this has been a rough, rough ride, (Neil coughs) - but it seems like we're in, you know, we're in good shape.

You guys - It's going really well.

We're starting to attract some really world class talent which is great.

You know, this museum is not an easy animal to wrestle to the crowd as it where, to work with.

That has been exciting.

We've been doing very well in terms of fundraising, having been named one of Ford's Foundations, America's Cultural Treasures, an initial 20 group has really brought a lot of attention to the museum.

And, you know, some other large gifts that we received over the past few months has made it possible for us to really think now about really returning the Wright museum to the iconic status that it had in the field, right?

And that's been really great to be able to do and also very challenging in the sense of what other possibilities there are.

There are many possibilities for us.

And so we're really excited about trying to figure it out what will be the lasting legacy of this great institution.

- Yeah.

Okay, Neil Barkley, always great to have you here and we'll see you on Juneteenth.

- Yep, great to be here.

Thanks so much.

- And you can watch the national presentation of we the people on June 19th at one pm at pbsbooks.org