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PBS Utah, Utah Cultural Celebration Center launch Shared Story Series with Juneteenth panel
Summary
PBS Utah and the Utah Cultural Celebration Center launched a Shared Story Series Juneteenth event featuring Roots, Race and Culture hosts Dana Gerald and Lonzo Liggins and a panel on Juneteenth history, Buffalo Soldiers in Utah, STEM access and health equity. Panelists included Dr. Sydney Lloyd Shorter, Dr. Richard Ferguson and Robert Birch.
PBS Utah and the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City launched their Shared Story Series on Juneteenth with a public panel that combined local history, cultural storytelling and conversations about equity.
Laura Durham, PBS Utah's director of programming and community engagement, opened the event and framed the series as a partnership to "make sure everyone is represented on our screen," thanking the audience and urging support for local journalism and monthly Shared Stories events.
Roots, Race and Culture cohosts Dana Gerald and Lonzo Liggins introduced the evening's panel: Dr. Sydney Lloyd Shorter, president and CEO of the Utah Black Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Richard Ferguson, founder and president of Black Physicians of Utah; and Robert Birch, executive director and founder of Sameh Aditi American Heritage and Culture Foundation. The panelists discussed the historical meaning of Juneteenth, tangible local histories such as the Buffalo Soldiers'presence in Utah, and ongoing concerns about representation in business, STEM and health care.
Dr. Shorter urged attendees to view Juneteenth through an economic lens, saying emancipation compelled many formerly enslaved people toward entrepreneurship. Robert Birch described his group as "the only Black history society in the state of Utah" and noted research he cited showing persistent income gaps. Dr. Ferguson tied Juneteenth to health equity, arguing that increasing representation of Black physicians and culturally competent care are central to improving outcomes.
The night included short clips from the Roots, Race and Culture series, a children's weather segment and brief community remarks from audience members who identified themselves as professionals and students. Durham closed by promoting an upcoming Buffalo Soldiers documentary on PBS Utah and a July 1 family program previewing a PBS Kids show called Weather Hunters.
The event combined history, cultural celebration and service-oriented discussion, and organizers encouraged attendees to sign up for future events and provide feedback.
