Join us at Tacoma Art Museum for Threads of Freedom, a vibrant Juneteenth celebration honoring Black culture, creativity, and community. In partnership with The Chayah Movement, Community Aunties, and Tacoma Public Schools, this event will feature live performances, local vendors, delicious food, an artist showcase, and the 2025 Miss Juneteenth Pageant.
Come celebrate freedom, resilience, and Black excellence through art, fashion, and community connections. This event is free and open to all.
Redefining Luxury – The Black Experience of Sustainable Practices | 4:45 pm – 5:45 pm
Luxury is more than exclusivity—it’s tradition, craftsmanship, and sustainability. This immersive workshop explores the deep-rooted sustainable fashion practices within the Black experience, tracing their origins from Africa to Black American fashion today.
Through storytelling, history, and hands-on engagement, attendees will discover:
🔸 Styles, Stealings & Stuck Withs – A journey through Black American fashion, from tribal hand-sewing techniques to Wax Cloth (Ankara) and the empowerment of sewing machines.
🔸 The Styles of Kings & the Enslaved – How embroidery, weaving, and royal garments transformed into reclaimed style and Dandyism.
🔸 What Never Left: Mending is Luxury – A moving procession highlighting alteration specialists in Ghana, featuring insights into modern Ghanaian fashion (Emmanuel Ousu) and Kente cloth weaving (Nicole Turner).
Attendees will also:
✨ Receive a piece of Kente cloth as a symbol of tradition lost and reclaimed.
✨ Browse clothing racks to select pieces for your own refashioning journey.
✨ Learn the art of Kente weaving using mini looms, guided by Nicole Turner.
Join us for an interactive, educational, and empowering session that redefines luxury through the lens of sustainability, culture, and resilience.