Black Joy And Black Power Are The Same Thing – BLD PWR Proved It In Houston This Juneteenth Weekend

Houston didn’t just celebrate Juneteenth this year – it embodied a celebration that would have made our ancestors proud. Over the course of the weekend at The SLAB, BLD PWR turned the birthplace of Juneteenth into a living room for Black Joy, Black Pride and Black Power. From film screenings and thoughtful panels to Keke Palmer shutting the room down and karaoke that felt like the family reunion, the weekend proved one thing: in Houston, freedom isn’t just something to remember; it’s something personified. 

Founded by actor, activist and Houston native Kendrick Sampson, BLD PWR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on engaging pop culture, education, and intersectional activism. The organization’s Juneteenth celebration took place in his own backyard of Houston, just 50 miles north of Galveston – where Union troops arrived on June 19, 1865, to deliver the news of emancipation, two years after enslaved Americans were already freed. Houston has carried that legacy ever since through celebrations like BLD PWR’s Juneteenth Weekend, which was so much more than an event. Culture intertwined with the joy and camaraderie Black people deserve. 

When I arrived at the beautiful venue called The Slab, I couldn’t help but notice the dozen or so giant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, juxtaposed against clean white walls. BLD PWR pillows were scattered among the couches surrounding a low center stage – a space that felt, even before the first speaker took the podium, like a safe haven for Black joy, Black creativity, and Black success. They called it the “Living Room Experience,” which was fitting because it felt like home. The evening opened with a screening of Boots Riley’s I Love Boosters, a film laced with metaphors about workers’ rights, creative freedom, and self-expression, which fit the vibe perfectly.

After the film, the audience was blessed with a panel that had the room vibrant and attentive, like a classroom with an inspiring teacher. Filmmaker Boots Riley spoke about power under capitalism and “controlling the levers of exploitation,” while BAJI Executive Director Nana Gyamfi preached community as the antidote to change, offering her own framework: “a mode of fearless discipline.” Kendrick Sampson then did something that had a profound effect on me and the rest of the audience who attended. He went around the room and asked listeners how they were building power in their community. It made us feel like we were a part of the show. Like our voices were just as important as the amazing folks on his panel. An intellectual energy permeated the minds of everyone there. By the time karaoke started, it felt like we were all family, which made letting loose feel natural. The vibe was so contagious that even I took my reporter hat off, grabbed the mic and sang Shai’s “If I Ever Fall In Love.” Just Black people celebrating life like it was our duty to be joyous. 

Day two turned the living room vibe into the family cookout. Juneteenth at The Slab brought a different energy – looser, louder and electric from the start. The vendors who circled the edge of the venue danced with attendees as they came to check out what they were selling or pitching. The day took on a whole new level when Keke Palmer walked through the door. She hopped on the mic even before she walked into The Slab, and the room went absolutely crazy before they could even see her face. Once she walked into the room, people crowded the stage like her energy was something they could catch. And in a way, it was. Palmer, who hosted a livestream activation on her Twitch, set the tone early. During a panel with Kendrick and Executive Director of SisterSong, Monica Simpson, Palmer spoke about pleasure as a form of power.

“It’s hard to get pleasure when you’re so pinned up,” she said, advocating for finding the time for things like yoga to help balance the mind. Kendrick reiterated the sentiment, expressing that we all “deserve pleasure.” The two later teamed up to host an interactive whodunit game called Mafia, which had the crowd locked in as contestants tried to guess who the killer was. As much fun as the day was, it also made room for substance and community. A lawyer took time during the “Talk Yo Sh*t” segment to break down the importance of voting rights before attendees took to the stage to deliver original poems, reminding the crowd of the power behind self-expression. Their beautiful words made me feel like I had been a part of their community for years, even though I had met many of them that day.

And let’s not forget about the food. What’s a Black celebration without BBQ? Blue Check BBQ had everyone covered – faces buried in their plates like it was their first meal in weeks. By the evening, everyone had become family, line dancing with one another in between the rows of chairs, singing songs together and swapping Instagram handles like they’d known each other for years.  There was so much joy in that room, it made you forget about your problems, just Black folks enjoying life together in the moment. It didn’t matter what was going on outside; in that building, you were a part of something extraordinary: the love of being Black and being one. And the weekend was far from over – Day three brought an R&B Jam to close out what BLD PWR built over the three days in Houston.

BLD PWR’s Juneteenth Weekend was so much more than a simple celebration. It was a testament to what can happen when you choose community over status. It was proof that Black joy and Black power aren’t opposing forces, but instead a part of the same energy. The energy our ancestors wanted us to realize all along. From Boots Riley breaking down the levers of capitalism to Keke Palmer reminding a room full of activists that pleasure is resistance to Kendrick Sampson being the catalyst for an unforgettable experience, everything that took place at this celebration pointed toward the same truth. Freedom isn’t just something that happened in Galveston in 1865. It’s something Black people choose to embody, protect and celebrate every single day. Black joy spilled into the lobby of the venue that weekend with people taking pictures and embracing one another. That’s what Juneteenth looks like in Texas and it made me proud to be a part of that. 

SEE ALSO:

BLD PWR Is Bringing A 3-Day Juneteenth Celebration To Houston

Juneteenth Marks A Freedom That Arrived Late And Remains Incomplete