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Saturday, September 16th
11 a.m. — 6 p.m.
Jubilee: Festival of Black History and Culture
Mann-Simons Site : 1403 Richland Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Join Historic Columbia at Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2023. Now in its 45th year, this free outdoor festival brings musicians, artisans, dancers and storytellers together to celebrate South Carolina’s Black history and culture on the grounds of the Mann-Simons Site.
Jubilee is a celebration everyone can enjoy and features live music and entertainment, artist demonstrations, and marketplace vendors selling a variety of wares, products, and art. Come hungry, because there will also be vendors selling food, non-alcoholic beverages, and beer and wine. The Kids Zone will be available with educational and family-friendly activities, presented in partnership with the Columbia (SC) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. We can't wait to see you there!
Entertainer Line-Up
11:00-11:20 a.m. | Jubilee Choirs
11:20-11:30 a.m. | The Reading Workout w/ Preston Thorne, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC
11:30-11:45 a.m. | Benedict College Gospel Choir
11:50-12 p.m. | Felton Eaddy
12:00-12:15 p.m. | Xtreme Jonez Steppaz
12:30-12:50 p.m. | Akiliah Renee
1:00-1:20 p.m. | Francis Marion University YGB Gospel Choir
1:30-2:00 p.m. | Stoi’s Atelier Fashion Show w/ DJ Kelly Kel
2:00-2:20 p.m. | AP & Soulful Touche'
2:30-2:50 p.m. | TiffanyJ
3:00-3:30 p.m. | Rod Foster & Company
3:40-4:15 p.m. | FatRat Da Czar
4:30-5:15 p.m. | Tweet
5:30-6:00 p.m. | DJ Kelly Kel
- Jubilee Choir
Every year the Jubilee Choir kicks off the festival! This group of musicians represent the three churches that grew out of Calvary Baptist Church, which was founded at this site. Participants in the choir are from First Calvary, Second Calvary and Zion Baptist Church.
- Benedict College Gospel Choir
The Benedict College Gospel Choir is a program in the Fine Arts Department at Benedict College. They have previously been ranked the #1 collegiate gospel choir in the nation. Each year, they continue to reach audiences of all races, ages and faiths with the message of faith and hope for a brighter tomorrow.
- Felton Eaddy
Felton Eaddy is one of about 10 folks who came together 45 years ago to create Jubilee. Eaddy is a poet, editor, arts administrator, teacher, and vocalist. He is a fierce and constant advocate for poetry and poets. He is the author of three books: Bending Over to Pick Up a Snake, Living by the Sword, and If I Hold My Tongue.
- Francis Marion University Gospel Choir
The Award-Winning Young Gifted, and Blessed Gospel Choir from Francis Marion University is conducted by Professor Jeffrey Lampkin. YGB is designed to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ while promoting unity among fellow students and the community, through service, music, and ministry.
- Stoi's Design Company
Stoi's Design Company was created in 2000 by Owner, CEO, and Lead Designer, Stoi Phillips in West Hollywood, CA. The design aesthetic of the Company is to bring both Fashion & Interior Design together to create beautiful pieces and spaces as one. Our goal is to put "FUN" in functional Fashion & Interior Design. Their fashion brands Stoi's Atelier & The Androgynous Soul feature Custom Made-to-Order & Ready-to-Wear Designs. They only design five of each piece shown and custom design to your specific measurements, this gives you exclusivity.
- TiffanyJ
Presenting a soulful approach to melodic art, TiffanyJ pairs her consummate vocal skills with a self-empowerment message and a bevy of other pursuits to forge a distinct identity that’s a perfect match for dreamy, gospel-tinged soul jams. The Columbia, SC native and creative entrepreneur most certainly gets the job done and has available 3 collections of music to include her latest album "Epiphany 3:25" and recently released a docu-concert film entitled "Solbird Sessions: Live at the Warehouse:, all available on her website www.iamtiffanyj.com.
- Rod Foster & Company
Rod Foster & Company is a Columbia, SC based musical ensemble whose years of experience (as a group and as individual artists) have afforded them the ability to play myriad styles of music with ease. This group is known for their dynamic live performance & relentless effort to provide their audience with the best musical experience!
NOTABLE GIGS: Rod Foster & Company currently serves as the house band at Chayz Lounge, they were a featured act at the 2020 SC Jazz festival, 2021 ColaJazz fest headlined by Wynton Marsalis, and the 2022 ColaJazz fest headlined by Aimee Nolte and Carl Allen. They have backed countless regional and national acts, including Tweet, Mike Phillips, Chante Cann, JWhite, Willie Bradley, Marcus Adams, Jeff Bradshaw, Adam Hawley, Martha High, Marqueal Jordan, and Meli’sa Morgan.- FatRat Da Czar
As a cornerstone of South Carolina hip-hop, FatRat Da Czar began his career in the late 1990s as a member of the Columbia-based rap group, Streetside. By 2012, he was an established solo act, releasing his acclaimed Da Cold War, album trilogy under the name FatRat Da Czar. With a total of eight studio albums, FatRat Da Czar is widely recognized as South Carolina’s godfather of hip-hop and has opened for national acts to include Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, and Lauryn Hill.
- Tweet
In 2002, the successful duo of Missy Elliott and Timbaland presented soulful vocalist and songwriter Tweet (Charlene Keys), who had appeared on alongside Elliott on "Take Away" (a single also featuring Ginuwine from Miss E...So Addictive) and "X" (an album track from Ja Rule's Pain Is Love). Tweet's debut, Southern Hummingbird, featured production by Timbaland and vocals by Elliott, most notably on the lead single, "Oops (Oh My)." The single became an overnight hit, and a remix for the song featuring Fabolous garnered even more spins on urban radio, helping her cross over to the rap audience and setting the stage for her album's awaited release date. It's Me Again followed in 2005 and, like the debut, reached number two on the R&B chart, but it lacked staying power; its biggest single, "Turn da Lights Off," barely managed to scrape the R&B Top 40. After an unproductive stint with Umbrella Recordings, Tweet reappeared in 2013 with a low-key EP, Simply Tweet, and finally issued her third album, Charlene, on the eOne label in 2016.
- DJ Kelly Kel
DJ Kelly Kel is a philanthropist, activist, DJ, promoter and founder of South Carolina's award-winning soulful house music movement, The Columbia House Music Project - providing the best deep, dope soulful house music, Afrobeatz, and Soco dance music in South Carolina's Capital City.
Tweet to headline 2023 Jubilee Festival
Historic Columbia is excited to announce that R&B artist Tweet will headline the entertainment lineup for the 45th annual Jubilee: Festival of Black History and Culture. Tweet, born Charlene Keys in 1971, is an American singer-songwriter from Rochester, New York. She rose to fame in the early 2000s with her hit single “Oops (Oh My)” featuring Missy Elliott.
Other Opportunities at Jubilee
Historic House Tours
Self-guided | 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM
$5 for both Mann-Simons Site & Modjeska Monteith Simkins House
Kids 12 & under get in FREE! Purchase tickets at either site.
African American History Bus Tours
12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 3:00 PM
Join us for a 45-minute guided tour of nearby sites and neighborhoods.
$5 — Space is limited!
Purchase tickets at the HC Info tent.
Thank You to our Media Sponsors
Thank You to our Jubilee Festival Sponsors
This project is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is also funded in part by a generous award from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.
