List: Triangle Juneteenth events
Juneteenth commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States. The first Juneteenth was June 19, 1865, when in the aftermath of the Civil War, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control and ensure the freedom of all enslaved men, women and children.
Considered the longest-running African American holiday, Juneteenth was finally recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021 – a full 156 years after it was first celebrated. For only the second time, many people have a paid day off Monday. Most federal offices are closed, along with most banks, and mail won't be delivered.
The Triangle offers an enormous range of opportunities to celebrate Juneteenth – whether by taking tours of museums and historic sites or enjoying live music, food and celebrations.
At North Carolina Central University on Monday from 1 to 4:30 p.m., the school of law will educate the community on why we recognize Juneteenth. There will be a film screening of "Racist Roots" followed by a panel discussion moderated by Irving Joyner, NCCU law professor and Charles Hamilton Houston Endowed Chair. The panelists include:
- North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls
- North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan
- The Honorable Gregory A Weeks (retired superior court judge)
The event will take place in the NCCU Student Center at 2223 Fayetteville St.
Also on Monday, Liberation Station, Raleigh's first Black-owned children's bookstore, will continue its grand opening festivities with a 11 a.m. Liberation Walk from the State Capitol (1 E. Edenton St.) to the bookstore (208 Fayetteville St.) with a group of Black equestrians and a book signing by Caitlin Gooch, aka The Black Cowgirl and children's book author, from noon until 1 p.m.
Past Juneteenth events
On June 17, the Capital City Juneteenth Celebration was held Dix Park. From 1 to 6 p.m., people enjoyed entertainment, food, family activities and vendors.
Big Field Main Stage Entertainment Schedule
- 12:55 pm - Posting of Colors with the United States Colored Troops
- 1 pm - Welcome/Opening
- 1:20 pm - Jared L Payton and the Voices (Negro Spirituals)
- 2:10 pm - United Strings of Color (Classical)
- 3:30 pm - The Mac Mclaughlin Group (Jazz)
- 5:15 pm - Lyrick (R&B)
The children's activity zone will have inflatable games, a water slide, face painting, balloon artist and yard games.
WRAL is a proud community partner of this event.
Here's a guide to more Juneteenth events in the Triangle:
June 12-16: Juneteenth Jubilee - Join John Chavis Memorial Park and Community Center for a week-long celebration of free events that honor African-American culture through history, entertainment, arts and more.
June 14: African American Politics: Past, Present, Future - Join the City of Raleigh Museum for a discussion on the changing face of the African American political involvement with Earl Ijames, curator at the North Carolina Museum of History and Yvonne Lewis-Holley, former N.C. state representative.
June 15: Rise Up!: Poems of Protest, Poems of Praise reading with Mari Fitz Wynn - This is a poetry collection that weaves the voice of the past, the poems of a grandfather born to slave parents, and poems of the present, those of his granddaughter. Enjoy this reading at City of Raleigh Museum at 5 p.m.
June 16: Honoring Juneteenth - Celebrate Juneteenth at the NC Museum of History on June 16 from noon to 4 p.m. Meet members of the Battery B Second Regiment, United States Colored Troops (USCT) Light Artillery Reenactors, and discover the legacy of the USCT in the struggle for freedom and citizenship during the American Civil War.
June 16: Juneteenth Joy: A Celebration of Freedom and Gospel Music - This special event features performances from The Clark Sisters, John P. Kee, Pastor Shirley Caesar and special guest Jonathan McReynolds at the North Carolina Museum of Art's Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Theater in the Museum Park.
June 17: Capital City Juneteenth Celebration - WRAL is a proud community partner of this event at Dix Park. There will be a full afternoon of entertainment, food, family activities and vendors. The event is from 1 to 6 p.m. on the Big Field at Dix Park and The Chapel at Dix Park.
June 17: Juneteenth Festival - The Town of Apex is celebrating this important day in history with live music, food trucks, local vendors and half-court basketball games.
June 17-18: Juneteenth Celebration - Head to the Golden Belt Campus for this fun-filled, educational and uplifting event that will include national recording artists and local performers, food trucks, vendors, a fashion show, a kids' zone, exhibitors and more. Admission is free.
June 17: Granville County Juneteenth Celebration - Celebrate Juneteenth with food, drinks, music, movies, a historical exhibit, a Black genealogy intro class, local Black authors, storytime, a puppet show, and more!= at the Thornton Library in Oxford from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
June 17: African American Festival - This family-centered festival will celebrate African American culture with live music, arts and crafts, vendors, community resources and ethnic foods at Knightdale Station Park from 4 to 9 p.m.
June 17: Garner Freedom Celebration Juneteenth Program - This event at Garner Performing Arts Center will feature remarks and performances by Duke professor Mary Williams as well as performances by gospel legend Lena Mae Perry. Local church choirs will perform. This event is free and open to the public.
