Steven Williams

Steven Williams current President of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation speaks on Dr. Robert Starling Pritchard founder of the Pan American Pan African Institute. Dr. Pritchard remembering local celebrations of African American accomplishments [Juneteenth] during his childhood in Syracuse, New York, worked to expand upon the Negro History Week Observance and the National Freedom Day observance. His efforts culminated in the national observance of Black History Month, which was first launched in 1965 in New York and recognized in 1975. Dr. Pritchard was the first recorded African-American Classical Pianist, a founding board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, and my friend.