Michelle Obama will Co-host the Root Picnic this Year

Former first lady Michelle Obama has joined forces with the organizers of the annual music and culture fest, to co-host the root picnic this year. This fest will also serve as a concert and voter registration drive this year.

Root Picnic is scheduled to hold on June 27 at 8 p.m Eastern Standard Time and will stream live on YouTube. This voter registration push and music show is not a substitute for the 13th Annual Roots Picnic, which was postponed indefinitely.

Performers like H.E.R., Sza, Musiq Soulchild. and Snoh Aalegra, rappers Lil Baby and Roddy Rich and gospel artist Kirk Franklin will be there. Tom Hanks, Kerry Washington, Chris Paul, and local influencer Wallo267 will also make appearances.

The Root partnered with Obama’s non-profit organization “When We All Vote” to reach about five hundred thousand eligible voters for the event.

Michelle Obama will co-host the 13th annual event with Quest Love of the Roots and Black Thought (Tariq Trotter).

The fest firsts held in 2008 typically falls at the end of May or beginning of June. This year’s event was pushed back at the end of March, due to the coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing in the region became necessary.

The Roots Picnic has now become part of the foundation of Philadelphia. This year’s fest was announced in early February and was slated to have a line-up of artists like Meek Mill, DaBaby, SWV, and Brandy.

For more than a decade the fest was held at Festival Pier on Penn’s Landing. That location has currently been shut down for the construction of the city’s I-95 park cap.

Due to the unavailability of this spot, an outdoor amphitheater was used. This would have been its second time at the Mann Centre in Fairmount Park, right near West Philly’s Parkside area.