On June 21st, Philadelphia’s Parkside neighborhood was buzzing with energy, community, and celebration as Elevation Project 215 marked a major milestone — their 10th Anniversary — with the 4th Annual Nice Guy Community Festival. This wasn’t just any festival; it was a vibrant, free event packed with resources, culture, and one unforgettable headline performance.

Founded by LaTrista T. Webb, a proud Southern University at New Orleans alumna, and James Smith, a respected entrepreneur and reentry advocate, Elevation Project has dedicated a decade to empowering Philly’s communities through outreach, mentorship, and uplifting programming. The Nice Guy Festival is the perfect reflection of their mission — bringing people together to celebrate resilience, brotherhood, and healing.

The festival featured a host of free services including a market stocked with essentials, wellness and self-care stations specially designed for men, and an array of local food trucks and vendors serving delicious eats. Many talented local artists also took part, showcasing Philly’s rich creative spirit and adding to the festival’s vibrant atmosphere. The spirit of giving back was palpable, with community members connecting, supporting one another, and embracing a day of unity.

The highlight of the event was the live concert featuring hip-hop legend Jadakiss, who brought the heat with a powerful set, reminding everyone why he’s not only a rap icon but also a successful businessman behind brands like Kiss Cafe Coffee and Juices for Life. His performance was a call to uplift culture and community, perfectly aligning with the spirit of Elevation Project.

This festival showed that true community empowerment comes from consistent effort, authentic connection, and bold celebration. Elevation Project’s 10 years of impact were on full display — and with leaders like LaTrista and James at the helm, the future looks brighter than ever.

Stay tuned for more events, stories, and ways to get involved with Elevation Project 215. Philly is rising — and the Nice Guy Festival is leading the way.

🏅 HBCU Stars Shine in Eugene at NCAA 2025

The 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships brought the best of the best to Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon—and HBCU athletes rose to the occasion. Here’s how they placed in the finals:

🥉 Jordan Pierre (University of Arkansas‑Pine Bluff)

• Event: Men’s 400 m

• Final Placement: 3rd Place – 45.75 seconds

• Achievement: First Team All‑America

💪 Jarrett Gentles (Coppin State University)

• Event: Men’s 400 m Hurdles

• Final Placement: 9th Overall

🥉 Marcia Sey (Howard University)

• Event: Women’s 100 m Hurdles

• Final Placement: 3rd Place – 12.93 seconds

• Achievement: First Team All‑America and highest NCAA finish in Howard’s track history

🏃‍♀️ Howard Women’s 4×100 m Relay

• Team Members: Kailei Collins, Marcia Sey, Tiffani‑Rae Pittman, Aiyana Gray‑Williams

• Final Placement: 6th Place – 43.23 seconds

• Achievement: First Team All‑America

📊 Quick Recap

📍 Breakdown: 26 Cities with Major Juneteenth Celebrations

Southeast:

• Atlanta, GA – Huge parade, live music, family zone

• Memphis, TN – Festival on the Mississippi + fireworks

• Orlando, FL – Juneteenth 5K & educational symposiums

• Charlotte, NC – Vendor village + youth storytelling

• New Orleans, LA – Food, music, culture by the bayou

Northeast:

• Philadelphia, PA – Historic AAMP exhibits & gospel showcase

• Baltimore, MD – Spoken word, storytelling & street festival

• New York, NY – Broadway block party + family market

Midwest:

• Chicago, IL – Annual Juneteenth Parade & picnic

• Detroit, MI – Wellness walks, cultural talks, food trucks

• Cleveland, OH – Outdoor movie night + music

• St. Louis, MO – Educational workshops + parade

South:

• Houston, TX – Celebrating at historic Emancipation Park

• Dallas, TX – Deep Ellum block party & poetry

• Birmingham, AL – Health & wealth expos

• Jackson, MS – Family freedom fest + Black-owned vendors

• Louisville, KY – Parade + Black Wall Street event

West Coast & Beyond:

• Los Angeles, CA – Grand Park celebration, Black culture exhibits

• Oakland, CA – Freedom Festival & economic empowerment fair

• San Francisco, CA – Parade across Fillmore

• Denver, CO – Street fair, live jazz, unity march

• Seattle, WA – Community rally & soul food

• Phoenix, AZ – HBCU alumni cookout & music

• Minneapolis, MN – Youth dance & spoken word

• Columbus, OH – Citywide Juneteenth march

🎓 HBCUs at the Center

Many of these celebrations include HBCU marching bands, alumni chapters, student orgs, and vendor booths. From performances to education panels, HBCUs continue to be pillars in preserving the legacy of Juneteenth.

🔗 Join the Movement

📷 Tag @THEHBCUORIGINAL
🏷️ Hashtags: #HBCUJuneteenth #Juneteenth2025 #BlackFreedom

Juneteenth—short for June Nineteenth—is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with federal troops and issued General Order No. 3, announcing that all enslaved people were free.

For the estimated 250,000 Black people still enslaved in Texas, this was the first time they were told of their freedom. While freedom had been the law since January 1, 1863, it wasn’t enforced in remote Confederate states like Texas until Union troops physically arrived.

But Juneteenth is more than a date.
It’s a spiritual and cultural milestone. It represents:

• Delayed justice, but not denied dignity.

• A collective awakening to freedom.

• The beginning of a new fight—for land, civil rights, and equity.

• The power of Black resilience, community, and culture.

Since its origin, Juneteenth has evolved from small family cookouts and church gatherings into nationwide celebrations filled with festivals, education, music, and activism. In 2021, it was officially recognized as a federal holiday, a testament to generations of Black voices demanding that America remember and respect this part of its history.

Juneteenth and Slavery in Texas
In Texas, slavery had continued as the state experienced no large-scale fighting or significant presence of Union troops. Many enslavers from outside the Lone Star State had moved there, as they viewed it as a safe haven for slavery.

After the war came to a close in the spring of 1865, General Granger’s arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas’s 250,000 enslaved people. Although emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone—in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season—celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.

The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day” on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread.