While the Arkansas summer brings literal heat to the Natural State – Juneteenth Hosts Merica Profit and Warren Booker, Jr. will be serving up figurative fire – lighting up this Mosaic Templars Cultural Center annual celebration with high-voltage chemistry, unscripted laughs, and crowd-hyping dynamics.
“This is bigger than just an event,” Merica says, beaming beside Warren on a stylish love seat inside her creator studio. “This is a celebration of who we are and what we bring to the world.” And she means it. It’s their third year; Merica and Warren have become fixtures of the Juneteenth festivities. A balance of humor, heart, and community pride makes you swear they grew up finishing each other’s sentences.
The festival honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States – specifically marking June 19, 1865, when news of freedom finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. For Merica and Warren, it’s also about building community, dancing in the streets, and making sure everyone feels seen.
Organized in the heart of Little Rock’s historic Ninth Street District – a once-thriving Black business corridor – it draws thousands from across the state. Guests can expect a full day of live entertainment, food trucks, a bustling vendor marketplace, access to the museum’s rotating exhibitions and more.
Along the corridor, the energy never wanes. “We don’t just stand on the stage and talk,” elaborates Merica. “We dance with the crowd, we eat the food – sometimes straight from a stranger’s plate,” she says cracking up alongside Warren. “Like last year when that lady gave me a piece of chicken! And I wasn’t joking! I was hungry!” Warren admits through his laughter. Merica picks up seamlessly to finish her thought, “And we shout out every booth. It’s about connecting with people.” The duo realizes this kind of authenticity is what keeps the community coming back. “People yell out our names now. They know us. They follow us. It’s love.”
This is at the heart of what Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and Juneteenth in Da Rock represent: a joyful, intergenerational space that centers Black excellence while welcoming everyone. “Even if you don’t know much about the history, come learn something,” Warren encourages. “And while you’re here, dance a little. Eat something. Support a vendor. Celebrate the culture. It’s ours – but it’s for everybody.”
So, bring a lawn chair, grab a fan, and wear your best fit – because this Juneteenth will not disappoint. It’s a cultural reset; a community recharge; a day where Little Rock’s heartbeat syncs with the rhythm of freedom and the spirit of joy. And with Merica and Warren on the mic? You’re guaranteed to feel the fire.
JUNETEENTH IN DA ROCK
Saturday, June 21
