A soul food festival in Arkansas that was scheduled to take place for Juneteenth, the federal holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States, has been cancelled after the panel of all-white hosts was revealed in a promotional poster, according to Salon.
The "Juneteenth Soul Food Festival and Market" was supposed to take place on Friday, June 17 at the War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
The three featured hosts were supposed to be Rex Nelson, senior editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Heather Baker, president and publisher of AY Media Group, and David Bazzel, radio and television personality at KABZ FM 103.7 The Buzz.
The Arkansas Times reported that the event poster had been leaked to social media.
The Urban League of the State of Arkansas, who was listed at the bottom of the poster as a beneficiary of the event, posted on Facebook that they were not involved in the program.
"Please read - the Urban League of the State of Arkansas is and was not involved in any aspect of this program. We are concerned of the appearance of participation without our approval. It’s unfortunate that some failed to recognize the optics and the absolute need to engage prior to this being developed. Scott D. Hamilton CEO ulark.org," the Urban League of Arkansas said.
The event organizer Muskie Harris, a Black former University of Arkansas football player, knew he had to call off the event after the poster had made it's rounds on the internet.
"I got a rope around my neck and I’m tarred and feathered over an event that’s already dead," Harris told the newspaper.
He went on to add that the leaked image of the poster was not a final version, but still decided to cancel the festival.
"It just got perceived in the wrong way, and my sponsors said to leave it alone. It's dead. It's dried up," Harris said.
Harris, who won the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in 1990, per the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, told the Arkansas Times that he may try to host another food festival for Juneteenth next year.
The leaked poster caused a whirlwind of reactions online, as a number of people tweeted out their initial thoughts of a soul food festival having all-white hosts.
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