Juneteenth and the Blues will be an hour-long presentation and discussion by composer, bassist, and bandleader Marcus Shelby about the importance and historical significance of Juneteenth in Black American culture. The presentation will include live music, readings, poetry, and observations on the legacy of June 19, 1865-the date Africans in Galveston, Texas were freed long after the emancipation proclamation.

Marcus Anthony Shelby is a composer, bassist, bandleader, and educator who currently lives in San Francisco, California. His work focuses on the history, present, and future of African American lives, social movements, and music education.