The RBG Ball (Red, Black & Green) will serve as the kick-off for the Juneteenth celebration festivals. This inaugural gala will include the first Black Arts Awards Ceremony. This black-tie affair will honor local artists with awards in the disciplines of music, dance, visual arts, literature, theatre, and film. The program will include the introduction of 3 historical African princesses who will be available for public appearances, birthday parties and school visits throughout the year.

In commemoration of the 101st Anniversary of the Black Wall Street Massacre there will only be 101 tickets sold.

The meal will be curated and prepared by celebrity chef, Kenyatta Ashford. Chef Ashford studied at the renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York. Before returning to Chattanooga, he gained experience and inspiration while working in New Orleans, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. He recently was awarded Jean-Louis Palladin Professional Work/Study Grant by the James Beard Foundation that he used to study cuisines of the African American diaspora and West Africa. Chef Ashford recently co-founded a new dinner series called "4 Courses and." He has been featured in Travel Noire, New York Times, and The Chattanooga Times Free Press. He is enthused about the expanding culinary scene in Chattanooga and looks forward to providing the dining experience for this event.

Visit Chef Ashford’s restaurant, Neutral Ground: neutralgroundchatt.com/