FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Tuesday
Film Screening: Free Your Mind Symposium
6/10
The 2025 Free Your Mind Lecture Series kicks off on Tuesday, June 10 from 12-1:30pm with a film screening of Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom, an unscripted documentary that invites viewers into the story of Juneteenth through the eyes of a Black man learning about the holiday from the direct descendants of those liberated. A conversation and Q&A with Ya’ke Smith, documentary director and Associate Professor of Film at the University of Texas at Austin, will follow. Learn more about Ya’ke Smith’s work as a filmmaker, professor, and activist at exodusfilmworks.com.
Lecture: Free Your Mind Symposium
6/10
The Free Your Mind Lecture Series continues at 6pm on Tuesday, June 10, with a lecture from Dr. Simone Browne, Associate Professor in the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Browne will present her research on the social and ethical implications of heightened digital scrutiny, both with and without artificial intelligence. She will discuss how these practices are informed by historic methods of monitoring Black life under slavery and the ways artists intervene against them. With a focus on technology, Dr. Browne will guide the audience through community-based tactics for enhanced digital planning and data protection.
Tuesday
Teach-in & Live Video Game Performance: Free Your Mind Symposium
6/10
Game Designer and Small Black Museum Residency alum Temitope Olujobi returns to the Carver Museum to present their latest project, Hands That Steal From Other Mouths. Combining a teach-in and live video game performance, Olujobi's work pursues a creative mission to unify Africans, on the continent and in the Black American diaspora, in learning about the collective exploitation and struggle for self-determination.
Tuesday
Film Screening: Free Your Mind Symposium
6/11
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Wednesday
Day 2 of the 2025 Free Your Mind Lecture Series continues with a screening of Little Trumpet, directed by Megan Trufant Tillman and produced by Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence on June 11, 2025 from 12-1:30pm. Little Trumpet is a short film set in Tillman's hometown of New Orleans and tells the story of a 9-year-old boy who dreams of playing the trumpet like his older brother. A conversation with Tillman and Matsuda-Lawrence will follow, moderated by the Carver Museum's Curatorial Fellow, Mueni Rudd.
Artist Talk: Free Your Mind Symposium
6/11
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Wednesday
The artist talk for the Carver Museum's current group exhibition, Second Sight, will be held on June 11, 2025 from 6-7pm. Featuring artists Samara Barks, Hailey Gearo, Brian "Bydeeman" Joseph, Jonathan "Chaka" Mahone, and moderated by the Carver Museum's Associate Curator, Regine Malibiran, the artist talk will dive into the exhibit's themes of double consciousness in modern times, enduring forms of slavery, and catharsis.
Panel: Free Your Mind Symposium
6/11
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Wednesday
The 2025 Free Your Mind Lecture Series concludes with Up to Us, a panel in collaboration with community builder Salihah Saadiq. Moderated by the Director of the City of Austin's Office of Equity and Inclusion, Dr. Lindsey Wilson, the panel features Ishia Lynette, Executive Director of the Austin Justice Coalition, Dr. Kevin Foster, founder and Executive Director of PBS' Blackademics Television and African American Studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and Ashley George, cybersecurity professional and adjunct professor at the University of Washington. The panel will discuss the current state of DEI initiatives, how Black leaders in education and community organizing are persevering with their work, and strategies on how to navigate the current landscape. Enjoy a vendor market and grooves by DJ Kay Cali between events!
Stay Black & Live Music Festival and Community Cookout
6/14
Saturday
Join us on Saturday, June 14, 2024, From 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., a community cookout and music festival will take place in the historic Rosewood Neighborhood behind the Carver Museum.
Starting at 3 p.m., the Carver MC will open the festival followed by DJs kicking off the vibe and attendees eat smoked BBQ prepared by veteran pitmasters. We'll have arnival games, workshops, fun activitivations, and more!
At 4 p.m. the festival hosts will kick off the music festival with opening performances by local and national musical acts, featuring hometown hero, Tameca Jones, and Houston-based artist, Chalie Boy.
Come early for watermelon and popsicles and jump in on our educational programing inside the museum from 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM.
Free and open to the public!
Full line up and shcedule coming soon!
Remembrance Ceremony
6/19
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Wednesday
Join us at the George Washington Carver Museum on Thursday, June 19, 2025 from 2:00 -4:00 p.m. for a remembrance ceremony as we honor our ancestors and come together in solidarity. On Juneteenth proper, we gather in unity to honor victims of violence in Texas, and create a safe space for communal mourning and grieving as it relates to the ongoing fight for Black liberation. We invite the community to gather in the museum lobby to help elevate the spirit of our fallen sisters, brothers, and non-binary community members. Join us in song, prayer, and meditation as we honor our Black ancestors and gather our strength to continue the pursuit of liberation.
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Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear all white or bright, neutral colors.
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*** The Carver Museum will be closed to the public before and after the Remembrance Ceremony in observance of the Juneteenth federal holiday. ***