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OPA Partners with Kelton House, PARH USA to Sponsor Juneteenth Celebration

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Columbus,OH – The Kelton House Museum & Garden will host a special Juneteenth Event focusing on drumming and poetry to lift the spirit and soul. The celebration will feature the drumming of Akwaaba, led by founder BabaaRitah Clark who is also a dancer at Djun'kendafala Dance Company. Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) and Poets Against Racism & Hate (PARH) USA will feature the following four award-winning and renowned poets:

  • Susann Moeller, a bi-lingual eco- and social justice poet, serves as Vice President of the Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) and Chancellor of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS).
  • Chiquita Mullens Lee, acclaimed playwright and poet, serves as Arts Learning coordinator at the Ohio Arts Council, performs with Columbus-based Wild Women Writing and leads Word Warriors creative writing ministry.
  • Karen Scott, published in anthologies, reviews, and zines, keeps her fingers on the pulse of all-things-poetry -- locally, regionally and beyond -- as her frequent attendance at open mics and workshops testify.
  • Rose M. Smith, a Cave Canem Fellow, has represented Columbus at National Poetry Slams, appeared on TEDX Columbus, and features in her own poetry collections, journals and anthologies.

Catering will be provided by Ira Hartway, a member of the family that includes Martha and Pearl, the two young freedom seekers who were brought to the Kelton House for safety. Ira is the great great grandson of John Aurelius Hartway, Martha and Pearl’s brother, who lived in Columbus as a free man. While Pearl moved on north to safety, Martha grew up in the home and was married in the front parlor by Reverend James Preston Poindexter.

WHEN: Sunday, June 22, 2025, 2 p.m.–5 p.m. The Kelton House Museum and Garden, 586 East Town Street Columbus, Ohio, 43215

AGENDA:

  • 2:00 Land Acknowledgement followed by reading of the Juneteenth Declaration
  • 2:15 Poets and drummers
  • 3:00 Break and refreshments
  • 3:15 Second session of poets and drummers
  • 4:00-5:00 gathering with food and performance by Jordan Hartway, Ira’s nephew

Juneteenth is the Nation’s second Independence Day which began June 19, 1865 when Union Army general Gordon Granger marched into Galveston, TX, backed by 2000 union troops, and announced the freedom of all enslaved people- a full 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln. Today, this national holiday is celebrated with barbeques and family gatherings, and keeping joy and remembrance in the center of the commemoration. Pictured: Juneteenth flag.

The Kelton House Museum and Garden, established in 1976 as a community project of the Junior League of Columbus celebrates decorative arts and the history of Columbus through the eyes of the Kelton Family who lived in the home for three generations. As a site on the Underground Railroad, the stories of the Hartway/Lawrence family are highlighted. Tours of the home are offered Thursdays-Sundays from Noon-4 p.m. as well as private tours, special events and weddings in our picturesque garden. For more information about volunteering, visiting or donor opportunities, visit keltonhouse.com, email director@keltonhouse.com or phone 614-464-2022.

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Location: 586 E Town St, Columbus, OH 43215, USA

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