The BLIS (Black Liberation Indigenous Sovereignty) Collective will host “Reclamation Day: A Reunion of Hope” on June 20, 2026, in Brooklyn as a response to the United States’ 250th anniversary. Award-winning artist, actor, and Brooklyn native Joey Bada$$ will headline the closing performance.
The immersive gathering is expected to draw 700 to 1,000 attendees and feature 40 to 50 artists, organizers, and cultural leaders across three zones: Reclaim, Repair, and Reimagine.
“A big part of being an artist is holding up the mirror for society to see itself,” Joey Bada$$ said. “I’ve always seen my music and platform as a tool to promote social and political consciousness and bring light to urgent issues directly impacting Black and other marginalized people.”
BLIS Co-founder and Executive Director Trevor Smith said the event will challenge false narratives about U.S. history.
“As those in power attempt to erase and sanitize the violent truths of this nation’s history, Reclamation Day stands to confront and counter that,” Smith said. “It takes courage to reckon with our past, and without that courage, there is no path to a just future.”
Programming includes an opening set by Mato Wayuhi and remarks from Shannon Holsey, Rev. Jacqui Lewis, and Nkechi Taifa, plus installations, films, murals, and discussions centered on reparations, sovereignty, and liberation.
“Long before the United States marked 250 years, our nations have existed, governed, and stewarded these lands,” said BLIS Co-founder and Deputy Director Savannah Romero. “As this country celebrates its anniversary, we must tell the fuller truth.”
