Rhythms of Liberation: A Soulful Juneteenth Tribute | Soul Science Lab & Qwest

[Music]

thank you

peace and love Everyone welcome to a

truly extraordinary event a celebration

of Juneteenth like no other I'm Chen Lo

and MC songwriter educator and creative

director that's right and I'm Assante I

mean multi-instrumentalist educator and

a musical director but together with a

soul science lab and we're honored to

join forces with Quest TV to bring a

mesmerizing and Soulful tribute to

Juneteenth right now Juneteenth holds a

profound significance in the history of

our nation it has grown in popularity in

recent years but many people may not

know about its Origins and Deep Roots

which we're excited to share with you

that's right chin over the next I will

delve into the resounding themes of

Freedom that have echoed throughout

black music we'll explore the power of

our soundtrack to Liberation how making

a Joyful Noise has ignited our spirits

and shared a plan for Paradise no doubt

now through original music electrifying

live performances and intimate

interviews will embark on a journey that

explores the multi-dimensions of

Blackness and celebrates the powerful

Spirit of our ancestors

this special program is a testament to

the enduring Legacy of our music our

spirit and its ability to inspire

lasting change we invite you all to join

us on this Soulful Adventure as we honor

Juneteenth and the continued Quest For

Freedom right now prepare to be

captivated by the riveting sights sounds

and stories of our past present and

future get ready to experience the power

of Juneteenth through the lens of Soul

science lab and Quest TV that's right

Welcome to our celebration of our

rhythms of Liberation right A Soulful

tribute to Juneteenth

thank you

[Music]

foreign

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States and around the world black

history often incorrectly begins with

slavery I'm talking about thousands of

years of profound history that has been

destroyed dismissed or hidden our

connection to that Heritage and history

was intentionally broken and we tell

this story and others to reconnect all

of us to that Legacy that Legacy is the

freedom we've been searching for since

our ancestors were forced into slavery

it's a freedom we still seek today 400

years later that's right sin Now in

America July 4th is celebrated is this

nation's date of emancipation but for

black people in this country June 19th

known as Juneteenth became a holiday

commemorating our emancipation From

Slavery until Freedom we had never known

the holiday was first celebrated in

Texas where on that date in 1865 in the

aftermath of the Civil War slaves were

declared free under the terms of the

1862 Emancipation Proclamation this song

Jubilee was sung as as a celebration of

freedom and brings to mind Juneteenth

now Jubilee is what's known as a ring

shout which is an ecstatic religious

ritual first practiced by African slaves

in the West Indies and United States in

a traditional shout worshipers move in a

circle while stomping their feet

clapping their hands and singing their

song this song is a perfect example of

Black Liberation being tied to religious

celebration

[Applause]

Jubilee Jubilee

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walking on your Jesus

cause you're free

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don't care what you call me

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as long as my college

I had a really powerful experience

co-writing Set Me Free I'm glad we've

been able to use it in the show bro we

use the metaphor of a relationship to

relay this message the song is saying

look I've done nothing but give I've

given you everything even against my

will when I had nothing left to give but

that's not good enough

you still don't respect my life so I'm

leaving this is not about me this is

completely about you

is Justice denial

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Kingdom you mess up

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all the damages

and I'm gone

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now on February 21st 1965 Malcolm X was

assassinated while addressing a crowd at

the ottoman Ballroom right here in

Harlem he was 39 years old

he was one of the brightest and most

brilliant voices and black people

struggled for human rights in life and

death he is vilified as a menace to

society now to study him is to learn

that he wanted his people to experience

the full breath of humanity and a life

free of Oppression

writing this piece was really meditative

and spiritual for me in our previous

selection for Malcolm we brought

attention to his untimely death but

after deeper reflection and talking to

his daughter eliasa we wanted to frame

Malcolm's humanity and love is so much

more than just the leader of a movement

the day I went to create the music I

remember I just kind of sat in darkness

and silence for about an hour finally

Spirit spoke to me and it's like the

music wrote itself I truly love this

song chin tell us about the visuals and

some of the inspiration behind me all

right now in putting the visuals

together for this piece I wanted to

humanize Malcolm X I had the opportunity

to interview his daughter ilyasu and she

put his Humanity as a father and a

husband into perspective for me he was

more than his public Persona and his

heart was filled with an unconditional

love for his people colors for Malcolm

so the whole notion of the angry black

man has been trashed let's see if we

trash the notion of angry black man

there's no garbage there's no Malcolm

there's no Martin there's no Philip

Randolph there's no Frederick douglasses

no on the other side of the sisters no

sir the truth no Harry tell me what's

left

are weak to be full of anger holy anger

of righteous indignation and moral

outraged given a suffering if not

something's wrong with us so my father

was politically assassinated when I was

five months shy of three

so that's when you just have a little

bit of memory

my mother was amazing because she kept

him very alive very much alive in our

house kept him a part of our household

what I remember is just a beautiful

smile and

um you know the way he would call my

name

and we happen to be in America

we're not American

we are people who formerly were Africans

who were kidnapped and brought to

America

anytime you live in a society supposedly

based upon law and it doesn't enforce

its own law because the color of a man's

skin happens to be wrong then I say

those people are Justified to resort to

any means necessary to bring about

Justice where the government can give

them just in my opinion the Young

Generation of whites blacks Brown

whatever else there is you're living at

a time of extremism a time of Revolution

a time when there's got to be a change

people in power have misused it and now

there has to be a change and a better

world has to be bill and the only way

it's going to be built is with extreme

and I for one will join in with anyone

as long as you want to change this

miserable condition that exists on this

Earth

at this

in this quiet place

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hopes

extinguished now

and gone from us forever

[Music]

who will consider it their Duty as

friends of the Negro people

you tell us

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many will say

away from

this man but a demon

combusters

who can only bring evil to the cause

[Music]

Community Avenue

never himself associated with violence

or any other disturbance

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this was his meaning to his people and

in honoring him we honor the rest in

ourselves

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thank you

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foreign

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place in the ground

Rich after the winter of this contempt

will come forth again to meet us and we

shall know him then for what he wants

and is

a prince our own black shining Prince

who did not hesitate to die

because he loved us so

you should make a duffel no and make a

double noise we ain't got no other

choice got no other choice just come

with your heart and your mind open ready

to jam ready to rock out and we

guarantee you you'll have a

transformative experience and we'll be

family after that you dig you've never

seen a show like this you've never had a

performance like this you know it is

it's a combination of all of your

favorite Hip-Hop soul afrobeats mixed

into one Soul science lab sounds like

afro-futuristic Grill would probably be

the easiest thing and definitely based

in hip-hop we love hip-hop that's like

Our Roots we're hip-hop kids but we also

study the black music Continuum it's a

very eclectic very funky melanistic

creative course and a Melting Pot of

everything you could ever think of or

positivity education history Vibe

culture great energy

and also like Forward Thinking

all-in-one this music is about energy

you know this music is all about healing

if you come and see Soul science you get

in church by another name whenever you

call it that's what you're gonna get

when you come and see Soul science lab

you know when someone comes to one of

our shows I want them to come out

inspired this is what you need you want

you want a crowd to leave like feeling

full

Soul science lab is it so we making

history right now

[Music]

everything's important every moment's

amazing it's all meant to be I'm feeling

right in the grand scheme some

imagination and a little reality but

struggling a hustle full of Miracle out

of me ain't no limit in the sky I'm

defining this Gravity the choices

[Music]

The Choice Is Mine

Joy

we come from people that passed on Joy

what's a manifestation of radical black

Joy To You

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Lord have mercy

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radical a whole change

a whole thing I'm in a hotel a whole

transformation

a butterfly transformation

so we want to bring back black

we want to bring black back

we want to bring ancient thoughts to

present thinkers so future Generations

can be healed within one moment time

stands still or ceases to exist but then

a minute by man's standards is a mere

blink in the Master's eye or who can

match the time who can move mountains

who can make music that makes motions

that move us forward to bring us back

yeah we want that black back we want

that good news that we lose that

old-time religion it was good for my

ancestors

nobody loves the butterfly when it's a

caterpillar

caterpillar is like a a threat the

caterpillar is eating your crops in your

garden you know you want to get rid of

the caterpillar but as soon as that

caterpillar transforms goes through the

struggle of surviving

and then you know going inward you know

loving yourself shielding yourself

protecting protecting yourself and

cocooning and then metamorph metamorphs

into a butterfly the whole world is

joyful when butterflies bring nothing

with joy and and black people are

butterflies black Joy means to me is um

you know my people my answers they have

struggled they have gone through so many

issues and setbacks and pain but they

always turn their pain into purpose one

of my homies got I got a series of poems

called how can black people write about

flowers at a time like this and he's a

poet

um So these paintings behind me were a

riff of that called how can black people

paint flowers at a time like this and

it's kind of this idea of how is Joy

even possible you know what I mean in in

the conditions but yet the joy was

always there you know what I mean the

joy was always with us and to me that's

like a

I don't know that's like a superpower

you know what I mean it's like a magical

trait almost

flowers

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withering flowers withering flowers

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black Joy is the celebration the Elation

the emotion that you feel after having

been hurt after having been deprived

after having been beaten stolen after

having your entire life lineage culture

disrupted even with that

still being able to manifest some of the

most profound some of the most powerful

some of the most creative

um art

um intellect invention contributions to

the planet black Joy is a is a

it's the infrastructure it's a black Joy

it's a mega lip black joy for me is a

technology it's a vehicle through which

we can transform Our Lives black Joy is

a means through which we perform magic

tricks yeah spiritual magic tricks black

Joy is a weapon in the face of

Oppression we should all be constantly

bitter we should have been passed on I

mean if you look at the books we should

have been passing on bitterness but we

passed on Joy you know what I mean

that's so wild that

we are come we come from people that

passed on Joy some people did pass on

bitterness true and it made me think

about how when you're confronted with

adversity we all have a decision we can

make you don't have to respond to

adversity

in the way you're expected to you don't

have to be bitter about it and so of

course that might seem counterintuitive

and it may seem intuitive to meet

adversity just with struggle and with

condescension and pessimism but that

won't transform the situation and so

what black people have been called to do

in our lowliest of states is be

Alchemist right because in in the face

of having nothing to transform your

situation all you have is spiritual

power and spiritual energy and how do

you harness that energy through Joy the

fact that we're still here we survived

you know what I mean as as a race as a

as a as a group you know what I mean

that's a testament to like our Alchemy

you know what I mean our ability to

transform these things I think Joy is

like that main uh

uh combination of that main end result

of our Alchemy you know I mean that you

gave us all this pain but like Jay-Z

said that same dude you gave nothing I

made something you know what I mean it's

like or juvenile I would say you know

what it means in terms of nothing into

something you know what I mean so it's

like that idea that in the process of us

taking nothing and turning into

something the end result is always

something that gives us joy if I could

talk freely I could walk freely I can do

whatever I want free just like this

should be free and it's important that

we create spaces and places where we can

be ourselves because when we ourselves

we give birth to pyramids and we give

birth to things that transform and

impact the world that's the that's the

crazy thing about black Joy like if you

let Black Folk when black people are in

a space in a place

and they can be and they can be healthy

we produce and create things that

positively impact life for Humanity

right but think about what we've done in

unhealthy spaces living in unhealthy

ways living in unhealthy conditions like

you say we've done things and

contributed things to the world that

transcend Humanity quite frankly you

know some of the contributions that our

ancestors had have made to this world

under duress you know under all these

unfathomable conditions we end up giving

the World Magic

[Music]

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thank you

he's having to see anything yeah hey

yourself yeah

I'm doing that too

yo the baseball

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don't you let them gotta get a piece

I come from a city of survivors when

there's so much going on around me

I came up to stay focused that's all my

mom ever told me stay focused stay two

steps ahead yes all of this is going on

but you have a goal you have a point you

need to reach

I don't have time to dwell on it like I

know it's gonna pass I know greater

things are ahead I know I have to keep

moving through whatever but you know

what man with the Saving Grace is no

matter what they throw in our face or on

our plate true we resist we celebrate we

Rejoice what else you know what I'm

saying and really this old show is about

the Redemptive power of black joy as a

force of resistance exactly and

transformation so no matter what happens

we always keep our head up you're

digging we never let up never let up you

hear me hey

okay y'all can bounce it's okay

this is a safe space

get ready for that gut bucket

yay this is uh this is what they call a

gut bucket

that Blues then how low can you go hey

how high can you get come on now the

back home please I think they need y'all

to kick in that door one more dude

uh-huh

[Music]

I know y'all feel that sauce

I was talking to a caterpillar I was

talking to a caterpillar one day and

this is what it said yo caterpillars

talk to him

[Music]

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what they need to do

yummy

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ain't nothing wrong with breaking down

if you're gonna build it back up that's

right

yeah I mean some of the elders

understand that

I mean really

I can say this next thing and leave

thank you

it's true but y'all gotta feel me on

this let's go

back when I was a caterpillar they ain't

want me now I'm a butterfly said they

all know me back when I was a

caterpillar they ain't want me now I

want my butterflies

[Music]

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hungry for food every day was just a

struggle my surroundings were true

police tried to snatch me haters tried

to trap me had a roadway

tried to clip my wings in the beat take

my rap sheet so I got Focus smoke them

all like a track meet I had a choice

[Music]

let's go

next

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I'm feeling unsure

come on bars

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God willing

[Music]

the joy as a as a tool as a function is

is so it's like one of the weapons that

um I think black people have used for so

long you know what I mean it's like one

of those undefinable things that it's

like how can you be singing right now

how can you be dancing right now we

maintain Joy through family through

friends through music through faith

um through a deep faith

through knowing

Without Really through knowing and

believing without

really knowing if that makes any sense

but I think the ultimate creativity came

from

our ancestors who decided despite the

conditions that they were in that they

were going to create another generation

and they were going to instill in that

generation Joy

[Music]

thank you

[Music]

Chinese

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keep them

dies

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so good you could hardly wait a joy ride

outside only me and babe

Good Vibes are the only way

enjoy making noise since the blessings

always follow me

honest

[Music]

we ain't got no other choice

we make a joke of noise

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these days

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where I come from forms are born in a

nothingness So Divine it encompasses

everything here Spirit speaks from the

deep and women sea with 16 eyes here

everything has an answer love bring back

love bring black love bring back black

love bring back black love no matter the

question love no matter the time love no

matter the question love no matter the

time love no matter the question love no

matter the time love no matter the

question love no matter the time

slow

[Music]

what is black love what does that mean

to you

when I think of black love I think of my

parents and how they as black people in

this world and in this country uh

supported one another through times of

up and down for both of them

um how they held space for healing and

how they created things together people

myself my sister but also opportunities

for other people to grow and flourish

and so that's what I think about when I

think about black love

um but it's it's beyond romantic you

know I think about my sister as well I

think about my family I think about my

friends and just holding space for one

another

um in a really positive and growth

mindset way

um you know because we're all in this

country and in this world and it's a lot

of pain that's been inflicted on us as

black people

um so you may develop some coping

mechanisms and some habits to do the

pain that's not super positive but if

you're around somebody that sees you and

is able to hold space for you to grow

beyond that then like that's some really

powerful love I feel that we should look

at each other and think about the fact

that we're all going through a lot in

that instead of taking it out on each

other we need to think about the fact

we're going through so much and be there

for each other and we really need to be

aware that the problems that we go

through affect us and the way we

interact with each other

[Music]

I want to let it go

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good

I love it

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love love

ly flesh and a summer dress

sacrifice

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love

you

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is

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enough

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it is

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this whole place

[Applause]

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Yes Yes Y'all now in this next segment

we're going to dive into excerpts from

our album planned for Paradise it's

important to remember it's more than

just the collection of songs it's a call

to action it's an exploration of what

lies beyond the confines of our current

reality it's an opportunity to imagine

what could be true indeed absolutely my

brother now plan for Paradise is not the

plan but rather an invitation to find

the paradise we all envision it's an

acknowledgment that we all hold the

power to manifest the future that

exceeds our wildest dreams now we must

do our best to leave the world better

than we found it for those who are

coming after us that's right and this

music is a celebration of life a

meditation on our past a reflection on

our present and a motivation for a

better tomorrow as Shinju said more

importantly it's an invitation to

healing and transformation right and

it's also an attempt at reclaim what has

been lost and a reminder of who and what

we are now through our Artistry we seek

to inspire joy and Imagination we want

to ignite the flame within each of you

and encourage you to Envision a world

where Freedom Is Not Just a Dream but a

tangible reality as we dive into this

segment let's continue to immerse

ourselves in this beautiful spirit of

Juneteenth as we reflect on the

challenges of the past and even the

present we ask you to contemplate the

future and develop your own plan for

Paradise

futuristic fields

from the beginning of living in life in

my world and now vibrant creation Let

There Be lighters

technology

Paradise is within us our images

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pictures

foreign

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for people of color black people

commenting people were going through so

much right now as a people in between

being attacked whether it's physically

mentally spiritually so first and

foremost this project I want to be used

as a blueprint for guidance to help our

people through what's happening right

now I hope people take away from this

project

that

they really have the ability to Define

and create their own Paradise and I

think that's what my life is about even

in

when I'm working with children I always

try to remind them that they can create

their world the words they speak and the

thoughts they think so I think that

notion and intention is at the Crux of

what we're doing what we got next

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welcome to These Streets of Fire my

firstborn won't take you higher we just

like this

Africa

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we

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I'm doing like this

like this

Revelation from the pyramids the richest

continent with the word of God and send

The Monuments whether we talking

flossiness and stylishness

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huh

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[Applause]

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citizens

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man samosa Africa

foreign

clap your hands and move your feet cause

we about to take you to West Africa to

New Orleans

to Brooklyn and bring you right back

here to Midtown the Lincoln Center so

bad come on everybody so clear come on

give me that soap back come on yeah

everybody's so clear come on oh give me

that so clap come on everybody's so

clear come on yeah give me that soap

back come on yeah everybody's so clap

come on yeah give me that Soul Back come

on everybody's so clap come on give me

that give me that give me that give me

that give me that give me that right

back yeah give me that right back give

me that give me that right back give me

that give me that right back boys what

you say

laughs

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it ain't

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come on everybody

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[Music]

thank you

I see you I can see moving your feet

that's right

I want it all back

when deadliest small creatures who are

feasting on their genus and meaningful

soul singers got a little piece of

dessert in the whole Kingdom they while

The rhythms are so seasoned and greedy

is a secret and woven into my Helix yeah

they gonna silly they call it another

remix

hard feelings I came to get it and bring

it back to the Village whoever in the

way should be careful or how you're

living

the same team as green versus the

brilliant for this game green I Promise

You Gonna feel it so the same seeds the

comments are forgiving you're better

running we own that you can't hide it's

a lot Eminem's and chocolate inside come

on everybody

give me

hey I want it all back

I want it all back

it feels so good don't you agree Make

some noise that you're feeling good

be live and outside yeah

come on everybody come on

come on everybody everybody

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wow

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let's go to church y'all

hey get ready to go to church

that's right clap your hands y'all come

on

[Music]

come on

come on

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[Music]

let's keep rocking y'all keep it rocking

keep going

what are we going right now

stop your feet

turn around and

move with me

[Music]

[Music]

thank you

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[Music]

yo that's my joint oh that was crazy I

hope you all love it too yo that

concludes our Incredible Journey Through

rhythms of Liberation A Soulful

Juneteenth tribute we hope you've been

inspired to think to feel to dance and

of course make a difference no doubt my

brother and we hope you've been uplifted

and moved by the power of black music

and the celebration of Juneteenth now

this show has been a true Testament to

the resilience and strength of our

community and of course before we get

out of here we got to send big love to

all of the members of the Soul science

family all the adult musicians the

artists who helped make our Productions

possible and of course a huge shout out

goes to Quest TV you already know for us

using our Artistry as a weapon and a

powerful tool to create changes in our

lives is our responsibility it's all

right we want you to never forget the

power you have that's right that's right

and of course a special thank you to

each each and every one of you now you

could have been anywhere in the world

doing anything at all but you chose to

spend some time with us feeding your

spirit now it's that energy of unity and

the collective that makes powerful

movements possible and with that we

encourage you to keep learning growing

and telling your story that's right

that's right now yo in closing thank you

once again for joining us on this

extraordinary broadcast in the spirit of

Sankofa let us always remember it's a

knowing where we've come from that we're

intentional about where we choose to go

and in that is true empowerment that's

right and from Soul science lab quest TV

and our entire team we want to say peace

and may the rhythms of Liberation

continue to resonate in your hearts

happy Juneteenth

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