For Austin-based poet Jasmine Games, celebrating Juneteenth means being able to discuss freedom, social issues and life struggles while still having a good time.
“Juneteenth is a celebration, marking the freedom of slaves who did not know that they were free,” Games said. “For me, I feel like right now what we need is joy. What we need is a reason to be able to breathe, to celebrate and to commune.”
On Saturday, she and other poets with every.Word will do just that at “Free Verse,” a Juneteenth open mic celebration from 8-10 p.m at The Vortex. The event, hosted by Tender René, highlights Black poets and musicians, and will feature music by DJ Jo.
“[The event] is going to be a really good time,” Vortex managing director Melissa McKnight said. “There’s going to be some really great poetry, some really great music and just a space to connect with the community and have a chill celebration of Juneteenth.”
McKnight said poets can sign up to perform at the box office outside the theater. Games, an Austin poet laureate finalist and co-executive director of The Poet House, will also read her work.
The Poet House created every.Word, which Games describes as the missing piece in Austin’s poetry community, uplifting a historically Black and underfunded art form. The program hosts open mic events on the first three Mondays of every month, as well as the annual “Free Verse” event that honors Juneteenth.
An afterparty in the Butterfly Bar will follow the event from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., with drinks and a DJ set.
When asked about the event’s message, Games said she wants participants to see the night as a protest made of joy, celebrating the work to come.
“I think sometimes when we think about protest, we see it as angry and sometimes violent, and I think there are ways for the Black community to protest that looks like our happiness,” Games said. “That protest looks like us getting together, having fun, sharing stories, dancing, having something to drink, having something to eat and being a community that holds each other.”
“Free Verse” will take place starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 20. Tickets range from $15 to $39. Find them here.
