On Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, laughter, excitement and line dancing music roared through Parcel 5 as hundreds of people gathered to celebrate Black excellence and innovation at Rochester’s sixth-annual Black Culture Festival.
Although it was hot, you could still hear people cheering each other on as they jumped double Dutch. And the noise that comes with intense playing of the card game spades rippled through the park.
“This year’s theme, ‘Dripping in Culture,’ is centered on proudly celebrating the creativity, style and entrepreneurial spirit that has always been at the heart of Black culture,” said Will Powers, founder of the Black Culture Festival.
The event featured performances by local talent, activities and games popular in Black communities, and over 50 Black-owned businesses and food vendors.
As volunteers were getting ready for the festivities to begin on Saturday, hosts encouraged vendors to visit other tables as a way of bringing the community together.
Live-streaming the festivities on Facebook via their smartphones, festival hosts and vendors stopped by their peers’ tables to get to know each other.
When more guests began to arrive, the party picked up with Charisma Jean singing the Black community’s National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice & Sing.” Vendors and guests could be heard singing along.
As more attendees began to show up, guests were able to participate in activities popular in Rochester’s Black community, including line dancing.
The festival continued for two days under sunny skies, as many members of Rochester’s Black community came together to celebrate their culture with one another.
— As a Rochester native, Justice Marbury entered the world of journalism to create work where voices like hers were heard—the voices of minority communities. Marbury covers small businesses, neighborhood concerns, and the interesting people who live in Rochester neighborhoods. As the 19th Ward reporter, she has helped implement community outreach ideas by asking what people in various communities want to read about themselves in addition to regular news. Contact her on Instagram @justice_marbury and by email at jmarbury@gannett.com.
— Genae Shields is the business and development impact reporter working on mobility stories that dive into how people get around Rochester and its surrounding areas. As a member of the local community, Genae enjoys learning about newly emerging businesses and changes that impact Rochester’s BIPOC and LGBTQ neighborhoods. She also enjoys supporting local artists and nonprofit organizations. Contact Genae at gshields@gannett.com.