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CNN Live Event/Special
Juneteenth: A Global Celebration For Freedom; . Aired 10-11p ET
Aired June 19, 2023 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[22:00:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Happy Juneteenth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Up next, an unforgettable performance by Big Freedia that sure to get you up on your feet. And later, Nelly performs all of his hits.
It is Juneteenth, A Global Celebration for Freedom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome back to CNN. That is right, Juneteenth, A Global Celebration for Freedom. Shout out to Jimmy Jam, the legendary. Let's go to Jimmy Jim, make it up, give me some love. Turn, loosen a bit, we all up in here.
But right now, as we go around the world, we're going to mix some a little of L.A. Now, we are a little bit of New Orleans. So, if you are ready, put your hands together for Big Freedia.
[22:05:00]
[22:10:00]
BIG FREEDIA, ARTIST: Give it up for Kelly Price. Thank you all so much. We love you guys.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please welcome Tank, the lead singer of the Grammy-nominated group Tank and the Bangas, performing Black Folk from the cultural landmark Studio B in New Orleans.
TANK, LEAD SINGER, TANK AND THE BANGAS: I love black folk. Black look like a revolution, look like a family reunion in the park. Black looks like it's a different world. It's more like a crawfish bowl in New Orleans. Black folk joke around like Martin and have paintings from J.J. in the living room. It sounds strong. It looks like sacrifice, there will be flowers blooming in the summertime. Black sound like old songs, something like good food and taste like heart disease, it feel like Maze (ph) at jazz fest.
Black sound like something that I heard, like a hard test. Black sound like skin, like something dark. Black sound like hair, yes, black sound like rub hair and good hair. It's sound like history, like spiritual, like years like working, like night, like Walmart, like Cornerstone, like cash register singing.
But look it look like Oprah. It ages well like Cecily Tyson. It sing like Nina. It got a bad shape like Serena. Black like sound like broken homes and Section A, it smells like crack and collard greens, like big Sunday hats, some little black girl ribbons. Like Tyler Perry making money. Sound like Hayden (ph) feel frustrated and daunted, like they won't ever get it, huh, like America won't ever get it, huh, like you've got to push your personal feelings of racial injustice so far underneath the carpet that, whoops, you tripped over your own family history but I love me some black folk. I love to have Greece and the rental fees, the police, the projects, government assistance, (INAUDIBLE) black big bags are here, fake press, all nails, gold chain, gold teeth, black men, big feet. I just love me some black folk.
They are the people that were made that from the darkest parts of the sky. And I pray every day that we can truly all return home because I for one truly love me, some black folk.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After the break, Nelly hits the stage. And then it's the Charlie Wilson celebration evolve and waiting for. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:15:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are all the way live in Los Angeles. Make some noise. We want the whole world to know we're doing it all the way live for Juneteenth. My name is Romeo from 935 KDAY. Give it for my bro, D.J. Ricky Watters. But coming to the stage right now, got every mugging. You know what it is. Give it up for my bro because we're both from the Loo (ph), and we're proud screaming loud for Nelly.
[22:30:00]
(NELLY PERFORMING)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Coming up, our show concludes with a legendary performance by Uncle Charlie Wilson. This is Juneteenth. A global celebration for freedom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Welcome back to Juneteenth. A global celebration for freedom. Please welcome, Academy Award-Winning Filmmaker and Grammy Award-Winning Artist, Ahmir Questlove Thompson.
[22:35:00]
AHMIR QUESTLOVE THOMPSON, FILMMAKER AND GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ARTIST: Hello, hello. Happy Juneteenth, everybody. How you all doing? It is so beautiful to witness this as a student of black music festivals. It's so beautiful to witness this moment right now. And I just have to say that, you know, it is important that we know the true meaning of this day, is to celebrate ourselves. Oftentimes, as black people, we don't celebrate ourselves enough. And
Juneteenth is about our celebration. And I know in modern times we got political pundits, you know, spewing this Confederate propaganda, this ideology, but don't let that take you out your joy because our black joy is just as important as our black pain, as our black struggle, as our black blood. Very important.
I have the honor of introducing a young man, a young man -- a young man from Tulsa, Oklahoma, literally born in the heart of Black Wall Street, three streets, Greenwood, Archer, and Pine, otherwise known as the Gap. He is a national treasure. Ladies and gentlemen, please give your respect and your love to Uncle Charlie Wilson.
(CHARLIE WILSON PERFORMING)
[22:40:00]
CHARLIE WILSON, SINGER: I knew God was always with me. I said, Lord Jesus, give me one more chance in life, one more chance in music. I promise you I'm gonna shout you out, justify You wherever I go.
(CHARLIE WILSON PERFORMING)
[22:45:00]
(CHARLIE WILSON PERFORMING)
[22:50:00]
(CHARLIE WILSON PERFORMING)
UNKNOWN (voice-over): The celebration isn't over yet. Our Juneteenth celebration at the Greek Theater continues right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[22:55:00]
WILSON: I had a good time. I love you all so much. CNN, thank you so much. I ain't through, though. Can I do some more? I can't hear you. I said, can I do some more? Let me see what I'm gonna do. Put your hands together. Fellows, what I want you to do, fellows. I want you to sing something for me. Fellows, say this. Say, oh --
(CHARLIE WILSON PERFORMING)
WILSON: I know we ain't supposed to be through but I'll be right back here. If you want some more you got to call my name, I'm right back here.
