In 2021, under the leadership of BrainSTEMology LLC (BSo), several local organizations partnered together to highlight and celebrate African American contributions in Fuquay-Varina through a two-day community event. M.A.N.iFest (Music, Art, and Networking) aims to educate individuals and audiences on the local history and African American culture through various forms of artistic expression, while also aligning with BSo’s mission to educate and engage middle and high school students in the field of S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics).

For the last two years M.A.N.iFest has kicked off with a STEM event geared at connecting students and their families to local business and industry leaders in STEM fields. The main event commemorates the Juneteenth Holiday through multiple different artistic performances. This event offers an opportunity for our community to share and reflect on those African Americans who have made valuable contributions to our country in the wake of the emancipation proclamation and Juneteenth decree.

Our three-fold mission of Historic Preservation, Education Enrichment, and Community Engagement remains with programming designed to commemorate the significance of Juneteenth by sharing discoveries of local community legends within Fuquay-Varina and surrounding areas, then capturing and preserving these historic findings. We continue our mission to educate and enrich by striving to increase the impact of our STEM Networking Event with a goal of continued engagement throughout the year and the establishment of a future legacy scholarship for youth pursuing education and careers in STEM fields. We’re also deepening our focus on the Edu-tainment aspect of our Main Juneteenth Programming. This portion of the event is designed in part to highlight the impact of performing arts within the African American community and their influence in the educational and professional areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).