www.freedomfestbhm.com
Birmingham Freedom Fest, a music and empowerment festival, is set to return this summer, Friday, July 23 and Saturday, July 24.
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and for the safety of the community, the festival will be streamed live. The festival, which is now in its third year, was held virtually last summer. The inaugural festival was hosted in and around Kelly Ingram Park, which is in the footprint of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.
Birmingham Freedom Fest is an innovative event to celebrate the triumphs of Birmingham and its commitment to forging a united future. Last summer, the virtual experience garnered more than 30,000 views from across the country.
“The City of Birmingham is once again a proud sponsor of this year’s Freedom Fest event,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “In light of the challenges that 2020 brought us, our residents are in the mood to celebrate, and this annual showcase of thrilling musical performances and insightful conversation is ready to recapture the celebratory spirit of our city.”
Birmingham Freedom Fest will provide attendees with a virtual avenue for engagement. Throughout the day, thought-provoking discussions, interactive videos and interviews will shine a light on issues of equality and civic advocacy. These conversations will be led by some of the brightest minds and thought leaders. In addition to these powerful empowerment panels, there will be entertainment from local and national performers.
The event’s empowerment panels will feature topics centered around civil rights, healthcare, media and technology, LGBTQ+ advocacy, social justice, a youth panel on “The Future is Now” and more. Speakers for this year’s festival includes the Honorable Mayor Randall Woodfin; Marcia L. Fudge, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Bakari Sellers, CNN Political Commentator; Joi Brown, Executive Director for Jefferson County Memorial Project; Roy Johnson, Columnist and Contend Development Manager for Alabama Media Group; Dr. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter; Andrea Jenkins, Councilor Vice President for the City of Minneapolis; and many more.
Musical performances for the festival include Birmingham’s artists Kristen Glover, Brian “Freevoice” Hawkins, The Party Rockers, Halo Wheeler, Sam Ervin, Spex Da Great along with Victoria Jones and Translee out of Huntsville. Stellar Award-winning artist and Birmingham’s, Pastor Mike Jr. will be headlining the festival this year.
“We are looking forward to another great virtual celebration for Birmingham Freedom Fest 2021,” says Rashada LeRoy, executive producer of Freedom Fest. Although we are not able to gather in-person this year, viewers are in for an amazing show filled with talented artists, community leaders and many more.”
Birmingham Freedom Fest 2021 is also sponsored by Alabama Power, Ed Farm and Regions Bank. Festival goers can stay updated on the latest Freedom Fest news, including how to access the virtual experience, by visiting www.freedomfestbhm.com or following the festival’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram @FreedomFestBHM.
