Festivities celebrating Juneteenth in Red Springs and other communities will continue leading up to June 19, celebrating the emancipation of slaves following the Civil War.
RED SPRINGS — The annual Juneteenth celebration has begun and will continue through the month of June.
Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery, as June 19, 1865, when emancipation of was declared followng the end of the Civil War. The first celebrations can be traced back to 1866 when the celebrations were religious services in African American community gatherings.
Director Eva Patterson-Heath said that the Red Springs celebration started as a single-day event in 2021, as Juneteenth neared its recognition as a federal holiday.
The celebration was held in two parts. The first was in downtown Red Springs, with vendors, activities and entertainment for all ages. The second was a tour of Peterson Elementary School.
“We chose it because it was the historic Black school in the community,” Heath said.
The following year, the Juneteenth celebration lasted a month.
“One day didn’t give us the opportunity to commemorate the ending of slavery,” Heath said. “There were so many pieces that we could incorporate within the Juneteenth celebration, outside of the festival.”
Some of those additional pieces were educational materials and events, along with cultural events.
This year’s celebration is now in full swing, with numerous events and vendors throughout the month. A festival will take place on June 19 to celebrate the actual day of the holiday.
The theme of this year’s celebration is Coming Together.
“When we come together as a human race, a people, there isn’t anything that we couldn’t accomplish,” Heath said. “All of us are important, and all of us have a story to tell.”
All are welcome to attend the celebration.
For more information on upcoming events and to learn about the history of Juneteenth, visit juneteenthrobco.com.
Contact Victoria Sanderson at Vsanderson@Robesonian.com.
