Sweet Potato Comfort Pie (SPCP) of Golden Valley and the Minnesota Humanities Center are partnering to produce the original play “Kumbayah: The Juneteenth Story,” with six performances throughout Minnesota. The tour kicks off June 16 with 10 am and 7 pm shows at Breck School in Golden Valley. The evening performance will include a 5:30 pm pre-show reception.
After its local debut, the play will travel to the St Peter/Mankato area June 19, Rochester (for two shows) June 22, and St Cloud June 24.
The play, written by SPCP founder Rose McGee, was first performed for Juneteenth festivities in 2022 in both Minneapolis and Duluth.
“The responses were so favorable we decided to bring the play to a wider audience,” says McGee. “A student who attended the play last year at Duluth's Denfeld High School said, 'I feel like this is my first day of a real education,' and we heard a lot of things like that.”
“It is important now more than ever that we teach our young scholars honest history and the deeper context of holidays like Juneteenth,” adds McGee. “It is the way forward.”
Details and registration information for all performances can be found at the SPCP website.