R.O.C. the Block Festivals is proud to announce

JUNETEENTH at the Stadium

The 2023 Tampa Bay Area Cultural Festival & Celebration

Saturday, June 17th is commemorated as a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Also known as Freedom Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas and is now celebrated annually throughout the nation. On June 19, 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger announced General Order No. 3, proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas.

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Since Tampa Bay hosted Super Bowl weekend in 2021, R.O.C. the Block Festivals has presented small business popups to inspire economic development in urban neighborhoods throughout the Tampa Bay community! To provide greater exposure to the celebration, R.O.C. the Block Festivals identified Raymond James Stadium as a favored location for a community-wide event that will showcase the talent, innovation and love of our culture! "From a company perspective, black people from across the Tampa Bay region deserve to be seen and appreciated for the advancements we've made to support this city! With the influx on black business development in the region, we feel it's time for us to celebrate us!"

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R.O.C. the Block Festivals reached out to other annual community event organizers to be inclusive of everyone's celebrations across the Tampa Bay Area! A "Juneteenth" Facebook group has been established to post and promote events from the entire region and beyond!

 

"The thrust behind our company's vision is to inspire the people of our communities to support each other! During the season of the pandemic, we wanted to show support in areas that had been seemingly forgotten or overlooked. Having survived over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel the need to celebrate our victories and accomplishments! Many of the business vendors that participate in our pop ups have emerged during the pandemic. We want to show them our support, push their brands, and also illuminate entrepreneurship as a viable option for those looking to diversify their lives!"

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A major push behind the R.O.C. the Block Festivals movement is the GT Network and App! Bolaji Ajike, the network and app's developer, has created a unique vehicle that combines media and mobile communications to highlight black businesses across the globe. The GT Network is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing independent media networks in the country. The Bolaji Show, for which she serves as the producer and host, features one-on-one interviews with small business owners and entrepreneurs from around the world. Developed in 2020, the GT App is available for both iOS and Android devices. It features a business directory, marketplace, job board, bookstore - it's literally an all-in-one app for everything related to black business!

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The other driving force behind R.O.C. the Block Festivals is RJ Stevenson of KreativeKoncepts Production and Design. A media industry professional, Stevenson arrived in the Tampa Bay area in 2017 and swiftly became a well sought-after consultant and producer in Tampa's music, media and fashion community! For over 20 years, Stevenson has helped to shape the brand images and event productions of high profile personalities, media networks, corporations, non-profits, faith-based organizations and institutions of higher education! 

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The events for the entire weekend are family friendly! We expect to see everybody from everywhere participating somewhere for Juneteenth 2023!