Long-time CBS Sports announcer James Brown will help promote the Scotland Juneteenth Heritage Festival this summer, benefiting an historical Black church in Potomac.
The festival, presented by the Juneteenth Scotland Foundation based in Potomac, will be held at Cabin John Regional Park, 7400 Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda, and Cabin John Village Mall & Shopping Center, 11325 Seven Locks Road in Potomac, to benefit restoration and rebuilding efforts at Scotland A.M.E. Zion Church, located at 10902 Seven Locks Road.
Scotland A.M.E. Zion Church members have worked to rebuild the structure after a wall was destroyed by a 2019 storm. The church has experienced additional floods due to its location that was prone to flooding. Additionally, it was vandalized late 2022, according to a previous MoCo 360 article.
In hopes of reaching the goal of $9 million to rebuild and expand, church members launched the 2nd Century Project with a focus on three phases: restoration, rebuilding and regeneration.
“I have a heart’s desire to be a part of a team of committed, caring people to make a difference in the lives of young people, and to be a blessing to communities,” said Brown, a Washington, D.C. native, in a news release from the foundation. “It’s my wish that we see the strengths in our diversity, and what amazing things can be done if we truly love one another.”
The festival aims to be the largest Juneteenth celebration in the Washington, D.C. region with more than a dozen different activities including a 5K and fun run, an antique car show, children’s carnival, an art pavilion, a health and wellness pavilion, and presentations featuring history and music, according to a news release.
Juneteenth is the celebration of the end of slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation and is celebrated annually on June 19.
“It was a major shot in the arm when we heard that Mr. Brown was willing to do this for us,” said LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, the president of the Juneteenth Scotland Foundation and the festival chairperson , in the release.
The festival will kick off with a gala held at Bethesda Blues & Jazz Club on June 17. The second-annual Clarence “Pint” Isreal Juneteenth Baseball Classic will be held at Povich Field in Bethesda on June 19 at 7 p.m. Ticket information for the gala will be available by March 3. Festival passes will be available by April 15. To stay up to date on the festival, please visit the event’s website.