EUGENE – Lane County residents looking to celebrate Juneteenth can find only two events marked on the calendar for this year: Eugene’s Rhythm and Resilience Juneteenth Celebration and BLAQ Youth Inc.’s Community Gathering.
The Rhythm and Resilience Juneteenth Celebration, run by Vanessa Fuller – owner and artistic director of Xcape Dance Academy – is centered on dance and music. It highlights the evolution of Black movement and Black culture’s resilience. At its core, she said, it provides a space for unmasked expression and joy.
“There is a renaissance of art happening right now along with music and dance because people need it more than ever,” Fuller said.
“People are looking for new ways to express themselves. People are looking for new ways to disengage with the (strife) that’s happening. People are looking for community. It’s a beautiful thing, and I think people are realizing it is a human issue.”
Vanessa Fuller
Rhythm and Resilience began in 2020, a year before Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday. The event was born out of the same need it provides today: a space for expression and joy amid hardship. In 2020, Black Eugene locals needed a respite from the fiery state of the world.
“It was eight or nine Black women who got together and created it in two weeks, and it popped off,” Fuller said. “It was a bunch of us in masks just dancing around. We did it because we felt the need within the Black community. We had had several things happen in our business, around the community, and with the local BLM protests. And since the Academy was closed, it was hard to utilize our expression at that time. And so we thought, ‘What can we do to celebrate right now? What can we do instead of being out in the community, protesting, and holding all this anger? How can we pull forward the joy that we have?’ It stemmed from that core need.”
From its humble beginning, the event grew to a full-fledged, all-day performance, featuring a diverse schedule of cultural showcases. On Saturday, guests saw a variety of performances such as African dance, gospel, spoken word, the West African Cultural Institute, Xcape Dance Academy and music by Eugene native Lafa Taylor.
Fuller expanded these additions to spread knowledge of the evolution of Black movement and the different eras of dance. She emphasized that these historical roots are an integral part of the event.
“When tying in art, music and dance to the holiday, it feels absolutely essential and crucial that we incorporate all these eras on stage so people can literally see the evolution of Black movement through the body,” Fuller said.
Rhythm and Resilience featured many local artists and performers who represented the eras on Saturday. ALL PHOTOS BY BOB WILLIAMS 
A singer performing among the crowd on Saturday. 
DJ SMUVE, also known as Bobby L. Green Jr., is a popular Eugene DJ. 
Xcape Dance Academy students were one of the performances to close out the event on Saturday, following them was Lafa Taylor.
“For example, the history of Tap was created by the enslaved. White people took away their instruments. At that time, it was outlawed for them to have any instruments. And so they started putting coins and metal on the bottom of their shoes and started tap dancing. That is how that movement started. Tap dance really moved into everything we know as dance that is rooted in Black culture today, which ultimately came from West Africa.
“So if you’re looking at jazz dance, at hip hop dance, break dance, that is deeply rooted in what started out as Tap. In our event, we take people on this ride,” Fuller explained.
Rhythm and Resilience also provides a platform of public recognition for Black-owned businesses.
“As a person who grew up here in the community and who also owns a Black-owned business, I also see it as a very unique opportunity to provide a platform for people to bring out their business, without being censored, without being curated, and then also be compensated for what they’re doing. I try to create this equitable situation from an artist’s perspective,” Fuller said.
Maliya Morgan had a booth for Blessings Hair Design & Barber Shop, which has been locally owned for 26 years now. ALL PHOTOS BY BOB WILLIAMS. 
Ratie D is a Zimbabwean vocalist and musician based in Eugene. Her booth featured shirts, scrunchies, and her music playlist. 
Victor Keith sold shea butter, soaps, stickers and books at his booth. He introduced himself as a “Artistic Ambush.”
2025 Juneteenth
BLAQ Youth opens the second-annual 2025 Community Gathering on Juneteenth from 3-8 p.m. This gathering is a holistic approach to Juneteenth, with a particular focus on youth and family, organizers said. There will be a youth zone with crafts and educational materials, and an elder space called “Melanin Oasis.” The event features a variety of performances, including fitness activities, local talent, and a band from Portland, along with a presentation on the history of Juneteenth. The gathering also creates a space for local organizations and Black-owned businesses.
Shanaè Joyce-Stringer, lead event coordinator, said along with connection and celebration, a big aspect of the event is Black recognition and acknowledgement of the community.
“It celebrates and honors the diverse populations in this community that sustain itself,” she said. “It also promotes to increase said diversity in the community by encouraging other people to come here, live here and experience all the things that Eugene has to offer while also still being able to celebrate their identity and have pride in their identity.”
Joyce-Stringer said that events like these can be crucial for the survival of Black-owned businesses.
“I think it sends a widespread message to the community about why they should support these events and why they should patronize those who are vendors at this event, especially when I think about our Black vendors,” she said. “Many do not have a brick-and-mortar space that is owned and occupied.
“It takes putting on events like this to create a shared space where Black vendors can be in front of larger crowds to be patronized, or at least network to garner more customers or clientele,” Joyce-Stringer said.
