CHARLESTON, WV – The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs (HHOMA) invites talented West Virginians to apply to be performers for the upcoming virtual Juneteenth celebration by submitting a video and completing an online application.

The 2021 event will premiere on Facebook and West Virginia Public Broadcasting on Saturday, June 19.

The Juneteenth event is sponsored by Charleston’s FestivALL and the Martin Luther King Jr. State Holiday Commission.

Performance entries will be accepted through May 15. Those selected will be notified the week of May 17 and asked to have their official Juneteenth performance pre-recorded at the West Virginia State Capitol.

“I encourage the state’s vocalists, bands, poets, dancers, choirs, and musicians to submit their applications to be part of HHOMA’s emancipation celebration,” said HHOMA Director Jill Upson. “Juneteenth presents a joyous opportunity for artists to perform and be seen by the public, safely, once again.”

All content submissions must meet the following guidelines:
• Content must be original work.
• Content must be suitable for family entertainment and free from profanity.
• Videos must be no longer than two minutes.
• Videos should be filmed in horizontal/landscape orientation.
• Audio should be clear and easy to hear with minimal background noise.

An online application is required and can be found here.

Videos may be submitted through Dropbox or by emailing a YouTube link.

A link to the Dropbox submission can be found here.

Instructions to submit using YouTube are as follows:

Instructions to submit using YouTube are as follows:
• Start by signing in to YouTube (or creating an account if you don’t already have one).
• Follow the usual steps to upload a video.
• In the privacy settings, change the video from “public” to “unlisted.”
• Send the YouTube video link to HHOMA@wv.gov.
Information for performers and event updates will be published online at https://minorityaffairs.wv.gov/June19/Pages/default.aspx.

The Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, which operates within the Office of Governor Jim Justice, is committed to assisting all underserved citizens across West Virginia and developing innovative ways to address issues affecting minority populations through conversation, education, leadership, and collaboration. For more information, visit our Facebook page at @WVHHOMA, our website at minorityaffairs.wv.gov, or call our office at 304-356-2023.