JuneteenthKC kicks off this year's celebrations with a film festival featuring Black directors

The first ever Juneteenth Film Festival in Kansas City is this year's launching pad for African American festivities. It's part of the largest and longest running celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the region.
Years before it became a federal holiday, Juneteenth was a time for Kansas City to commemorate the perseverance of Black culture, says Shawn Edwards.

“I've always thought that the Juneteenth celebration here in Kansas City deserved a lot more recognition,” he says.

The award-winning film critic for Fox 4 news is executive producer of the Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, an annual event that honors Black creatives, and he led the effort this year to kick off the inaugural JuneteenthKC Film Festival.