Juneteenth: 2022
Juneteenth albums on FUV
In light of the focused awareness on the continuing damage that systemic racism does to humanity, and in recognition of Juneteenth National Independence Day on June 19 marking the end of slavery in the U.S., WFUV is spending extra time amplifying the words and voices of Black artists on Monday, June 20. It is the second anniversary of the federal holiday, signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021.
We'll be celebrating with the music and voices of Black artists all day, and also highlighting key albums from Stevie Wonder, Solange, Aretha Franklin, and Michael Kiwanuka. See the schedule below:
6am-midnight: WFUV Music Mix — Black Voices
Songs and messages throughout the day on FUV from Black musicians, representing a full scope of genres. In addition, we'll have online Q&As with Sudan Archives, Fantastic Negrito, Obongjayar, and Brandi Thompson of Brandi and the Alexanders.
Featured albums:
9am - Stevie Wonder, Innervisions: Released in 1973, Wonder's 16th album was a searing political and social document of the times, tackling racism, poverty, and Nixonian scandal. It also arrived in the aftermath of Wonder's own experience, attending the funeral of a New York child, Clifford Glover, who had been gunned down by an undercover police officer. In 1974, Innervisions won the Grammy for Album of the Year.
1pm - Solange, A Seat at the Table: Solange Knowles' third album, released in 2016, was a breakthrough for the young singer, who had been overshadowed by the superstar success of her older sister, Beyoncé. The album soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, but more significantly, Solange brilliantly encapsulated the historic despair, anger, euphoria, and empowerment of being a Black woman via startling songs such as "Rise" and "Cranes in the Sky."
5pm - Aretha Franklin, Young, Gifted and Black: Marking its 50th anniversary this year, Franklin's 18th album was a mix of covers and Franklin's own original songs, including her soul hit "Day Dreaming." Her cover of Nina Simone's "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (as "Young, Gifted and Black"), which Simone had debuted at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969 (captured in Questlove's 2021 documentary, "Summer of Soul"), was a highlight of the album. It was also a clear affirmation of Franklin's own commitment to the Civil Rights movement over the years; in addition, her father, the Reverend C.L. Franklin, worked with the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. in Detroit.
9pm - Michael Kiwanuka, Love & Hate: Born and raised in north London, the child of Ugandan refugees, Kiwanuka's perspective on what it meant to be Black in Britain is very similar to the experience of systemic racism in America experienced by Wonder, Knowles, and Franklin. Kiwanuka's second album, Love & Hate, was released in 2016 and again partnered him with producers Danger Mouse and Inflo. The first single from Love & Hate, "Black Man in a White World," laid out Kiwanuka's ability to speak directly to inequity and racism, reflecting the Civil Rights legacy of many of his influences. Kiwanuka was nominated for a Mercury Prize for Love & Hate and would eventually win in 2020 for his third album (and nomination), KIWANUKA.
