During the Apollo Theater’s heyday as a showcase for Black performers from the 1930s into the 1970s, nearly every important African-American entertainer played here, including many LGBT stars, such as comedian Jackie “Moms” Mabley and singers Alberta Hunter, Little Richard, Luther Vandross, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Johnny Mathis, among others. In the 1960s, the popular drag show Jewel Box Revue was often hosted by LGBT icon, Stormé DeLarverie.

For generations, communities across the nation have commemorated and celebrated June 19th with parades, picnics, performances, and speeches, as they uplift the importance of community, education, civic engagement, and freedom. And now the celebration is the 11th federal holiday, and first declared since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 1983. Here, at a typical celebrations in 2018, students parade past the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY, demonstrating the enduring impact of Juneteenth.

It’s impossible to capture this theater’s significance in a single sentence, but Nat “King” Cole biographer Will Friedwald came close: “Just as the theater itself is in the geographical epicenter of Harlem, the Apollo has always been ground zero for every major development in African American vernacular music, from swing bands in the 1930s, to bebop and R&B in the ’40s, gospel and soul in the ’50s and ’60s, followed by funk, reggae, rap, hip-hop, and every sound that has come since.”

“The famed music hall hosted Showtime at the Apollo for more than 20 years, serving as a vessel for many classic hip-hop performances. Beyond hip-hop, the theater, which opened its doors in 1914, has served as a historic venue for Black performers and the evolution of jazz, gospel, soul, and other music genres.”

“Be sure to check out the Apollo Theater, in Harlem, on 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, with its long tradition of stage and talent shows.”

Founded in 1914, the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem has been a major cultural force and venue for American music and artists, showcasing genres such as jazz, R & B, gospel, soul and hip-hop. Its world-famous amateur night began in 1934, with many future legends taking the stage early in their career. Other giants of music and entertainment who have performed here include Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday.