Check Out These Juneteenth Events Across The State
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To commemorate Juneteenth, numerous N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources sites across the state will feature events and tours throughout June.
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. It signifies the official end of slavery in the United States.
This year, the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission is excited to share the 2024 Juneteenth Celebration Toolkit. The toolkit is an interactive resource that invites readers to learn about the unique liberation stories of African Americans in North Carolina. This year the AAHC partnered with two N.C. State Historic Sites — the N.C. State Capitol and Historic Stagville — to share the stories associated with their sites. To access and learn more about the toolkit, visit 2024 Juneteenth Toolkit | NC AAHC.
For more information about Juneteenth, including how the holiday is being marked at sites across the state, visit https://www.ncdcr.gov/juneteenth.
Notable Juneteenth Observances
June 13, noon-1:30 p.m., NC Division of Archives and Records — Peter Oliver: Freedman and Family, a Journey of His Enslavement and Persistence. As a formerly enslaved man who negotiated his way to freedom, Oliver’s life is documented with over 30 archival records including one signing for his freedom, a type of eulogy when he died as a Moravian, and estate accounts. This documentation gives depth and understanding to his life in Salem and the region, where he lived and worked as a potter and much more. Creative Corridors Coalition is in planning for a new public space to celebrate Peter Oliver’s life and legacy as well as mark the historic site of Oliver’s farm and Homestead.
June 13, 7:30 p.m, N.C. Museum of History — Celebrate Juneteenth at the North Carolina Museum of History with a screening of the 2023 Emmy-award nominated film George H. White: Searching for Freedom. White was the last African American to serve in Congress during the Reconstruction era. Author and motivational speaker Stedman Graham, a descendant of the congressman, will address the impact of White’s life and his legacy of self-determination. After the screening, Deputy Secretary Dr. Darin Waters, Office of Archives and History, will moderate a Q&A session featuring Graham, historian Earl Ijames, and film producer Mike O’Connell. Free.
June 14, 7:30 p.m., North Carolina Museum of Art — Juneteenth Joy: A Celebration of Freedom & Gospel Music featuring Kirk Franklin with special guest Maurette Brown Clark. This year’s concert features 19-time Grammy-winning gospel music icon Kirk Franklin and his special guest, Stellar Award-winning songstress Maurette Brown Clark.
June 15, 5-11 p.m., North Carolina Museum of Art — Juneteenth Joy: A Celebration of Black Women, Resilience and Sisterhood with The Joy of House Music and a screening of “The Color Purple (2023).”
June 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Museum of the Albemarle — Take It, Make It: Celebrate Freedom on Juneteenth. Stop by the museum and pick up a free “Take It, Make It,” packet to celebrate Juneteenth! You’ll find at-home activities, learning resources, and information about regional sites that explore the history of slavery and emancipation.
June 15, 11 a.m., Vance Birthplace State Historic Site — Leah & the Rabbit: A Juneteenth Play. Vance Birthplace State Historic Site and the American Myth Center will partner for Juneteenth on June 15th to present a morning of historical drama and discussion on the reclaiming of African American stories, resiliency among enslaved people, and the romanticized view of the plantation past. This free program will begin at 11 am and run approximately one hour and a half.
June 19, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Lake Norman State Park — Juneteenth Storywalk and Make Your Own Flag: Take a break from the heat and walk around inside the visitor at Lake Norman State Park to read Floyd Cooper’s “Juneteenth for Mazie.” Visitors can also make a Juneteenth Flag at a craft station, enjoy pages of Juneteenth-themed books posted along the walls and see books on display. All activities are self-guided.
June 22, 11 a.m., President James K. Polk State Historic Site — The History of Juneteenth in North Carolina: The Polk site will welcome the Director of the NC African American Heritage Commission, Adrienne Nirdé, who will present a program on the history of Juneteenth in North Carolina. She will also provide an update on the latest news and happenings with the NC African American Heritage Commission.
June 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Historic Stagville State Historic Site — Juneteenth at Stagville Open House: Almost a thousand people were emancipated from the Cameron plantations at the end of the Civil War. Visit Stagville for the site’s annual Juneteenth event to remember the struggle and celebration of freedom at one of the state’s largest plantations. Explore local history about slavery and freedom, and visit original slave quarters at Horton Grove to reflect and remember enslaved ancestors. Stories of love, loss, freedom, family, and resistance will illuminate the complex history of the transition to freedom in 1865. Free.
Source: PEO Productions / PEO Productions
