Harambee Ministries to Hold Free Summer Academy Finale July 23 at John Muir High School

Harambee Ministries will close out its 2026 Summer Academy with a student showcase on Thursday, July 23, at the John Muir High School auditorium in northwest Pasadena, the organization announced in a press release.

According to the release, the event — titled the Harambee Worldwide End of Summer Showcase, “Come Fly With Me” — opens its doors at 6:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the school, 1905 North Lincoln Avenue. The event’s public listing on Eventbrite, which Harambee is using for RSVPs, lists a run time of roughly two hours and describes the showcase as open to all ages. Harambee says admission is free. Families, friends and supporters are invited to attend, according to the release, which lists the RSVP page at eventbrite.com.

The showcase caps eight weeks of academic enrichment and performing-arts programming. Harambee states that it served more than 220 students this summer, hired 12 high school youth workers who gained workforce-development skills, and drew more than 30 community advocates. Those figures come from the organization and were not independently verified.

Harambee Ministries has operated in northwest Pasadena for more than four decades, centered at its campus on Navarro Avenue. Its programs reach both Pasadena and Altadena students: the ministry’s BEE academic-enrichment program partners with Pasadena Unified School District families and provides curriculum for Eliot Arts Magnet and Altadena Arts Magnet schools, according to the organization’s website.

The ministry said this year’s showcase also honors the late Dr. John M. Perkins, the civil rights leader, author and Bible teacher who died March 13, 2026, at age 95. Perkins helped launch Harambee in northwest Pasadena in the early 1980s, and the ministry’s mission reflects the “three R’s” he became known for — reconciliation, relocation and redistribution. His death was reported by multiple outlets, including Religion News Service.

“Every summer, our scholars remind us why this work matters,” Executive Director Brandon Lamar said in the release. “This year we get to do something even more special: celebrate over 220 young people who showed up, grew, and created, and honor Dr. John M. Perkins, whose legacy is woven into everything we do. We can’t wait to welcome our community to a bigger room to see it all for themselves.”

Harambee said the program moved to the John Muir auditorium to accommodate a larger audience than in past years. The organization describes its work as providing academic enrichment, leadership development and community-building rooted in a legacy of faith and empowerment. More information is available at harambeeministries.org.

The John Muir High School auditorium is located at 1905 North Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, July 23, and the program begins at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, and Harambee is collecting RSVPs through its Eventbrite page.