Project1VOICE, a New York-based organization dedicated to supporting theatre and the performing arts by people of African descent, is set for a free, two-day online event for Juneteenth. All events will be live-streamed via project1voice.org and the Project1VOICE YouTube channel.

The organization’s annual celebration of Black artistic endeavors begins on Sunday June 19, at 7 p.m., with Project1VOICE Honors, an annual award ceremony honoring the outstanding achievements of Black creatives from around the country. 

The festivities continue on Monday, June 20, at 7 p.m., with a staged reading of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated From the Mississippi Delta by Dr. Endesha Ida Mae Holland.  This reading is part of Project1VOICE’s 12th annual One Play One Day national staged reading event, which revives and reintroduces forgotten and under-appreciated plays written by people of African descent. The reading will be live-streamed via project1voice.org and the Project1VOICE YouTube channel. For those who miss the live-stream (or want to see it again), a capture of the live stream will continue to be available until Wednesday, June 22, at midnight EST. 

Project1VOICE is also pleased they are not alone in wanting Dr. Holland’s voice to be heard by a new generation.  In neighboring Connecticut, Westport Country Playhouse is producing From the Mississippi Delta, directed by Goldie E. Patrick, October 18 through 30, and the Essential Theatre in Washington, D.C. is producing the play at the Anacostia Playhouse, directed by Luther E. Wells, June 19 through July 10. 

From the Mississippi Delta, a play about the resilience and the human spirit, recounts Dr. Holland’s triumphant journey out of 1940s Jim Crow South, her years as a prostitute and a thief, and how she became active in the civil rights movement, earned her doctorate and started writing.  Melissa Mowry directs.  The cast includes: Brenda Denmark, Elain Graham and Lisa Arrindell. Bernita Robinson is the stage manager. 

This year Project1VOICE urges arts and culture lovers and supporters to find ways to engage with and support Black creative organizations in their community. For a listing of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), along with Black theaters, Black dance companies, Black museums, please visit Project1VOICE.org.

Erich McMillan-McCall, Founder and Director of Project1VOICE, has dedicated ten-plus years to uplifting other Black creatives and providing education on the contributions of Black artists throughout the history of the United States and beyond. With Project1VOICE's virtual performance platform, programming and initiatives, Mr. McMillian-McCall hopes to continue this necessary work and draw additional support.

"I believe that the key to continuing our robust and rich history of Black theatre in this country will depend on four areas of action:  Sustain, Endow, Access and Thrive,” McMillan-McCall explains "This is how we will endure and exceed. These two days are intended to connect us to our varied and robust past, present and future. During these two days we will commemorate the 'emancipation' of our collective and individual voices, paving the way for a better future that is always ours to claim."

As a recipient of a generous gift from The Black Seed/Mellon Foundation, Project1VOICE will use the funds as intended; planting the seeds of growth for Black creatives and arts professionals by honoring Black theatre artists, actively engaging and hiring Black people and specifically Black women for the organization's initiatives, and using their platform to encourage support for Black creatives and performing arts organizations.

For more information visit Project1VOICE.org.