In honor of Juneteenth, numerous N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources sites across the state will feature events and tours throughout the month of 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 now free. It celebrates the official end of slavery in the United States.
For more information on Juneteenth, including how the holiday is being marked at sites across the state, visit https://www.ncdcr.gov/juneteenth.
Juneteenth Observances
Historic Sites
Stagville State Historic Site
June 5, 12, 19, 26, 2021, 11 a.m.
Emancipation Tours
$2 per person.
Visit Historic Stagville for a 75-minute site tour focused on the experiences of formerly enslaved people at emancipation. Discover stories of how African American families sought celebration, safety, self-defense, and land ownership throughout 1865. Offered every Saturday in June at 11 a.m.
Vance Birthplace State Historic Site
June 2021
Juneteenth in the Reems Creek Valley Audio Tour
Free.
This self-guided audio tour to explores the lives of the individuals enslaved by the Vances from 1795-1865. Of the 27+ people enslaved at this site, at least eight saw freedom in 1865: Leah and Sandy Erwin, Richard Vance II, Hudson Vance, Abram Vance, Peter, James Vance, and Simon Vance.
This program was produced by the Mountain History & Culture Group with the support of the N.C. African American Heritage Commission. A corresponding outdoor installation at Vance Birthplace names each person.
Horne Creek Living Historical Farm
June 12, 2021, 11 a.m.
Sawyer Family History presentation
Facebook live virtual program.
Free.
Jerry Ward, Sawyer’s descendant and avid family genealogist will present a virtual program on Sawyers family history, tracing the history of the free people of color who were one of two families living at Horne Creek in 1860.
North Carolina Museum of History
June 16, 2021,7 p.m.
Juneteenth: A Story of Freedom (ONLINE EVENT)
Free. Registration Required.
Join Earl Ijames and Chrystal Regan in an insightful conversation to examine the history behind this holiday and reveal why its celebration is more important now than ever. They will also explore North Carolina’s special connections to the historic event and share details about Raleigh’s inaugural Juneteenth Celebration.
June 18, 1–4 p.m., with a special reading and book signing at 3 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth at the Museum of History
Free. Registration Required.
Meet members of the Battery B Second Regiment, United States Colored Troops Light Artillery Civil War reenactors, as they reveal the legacy of these courageous soldiers. Visit museum exhibits, and enjoy an author reading and book signing by the 2021 Piedmont Laureate, Kelly Starling Lyons. The renowned children’s author will read her poignant story, Hope’s Gift, which commemorates the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation as seen by one little girl who dreams of freedom for herself and her people. A free activity guide based on the book is available for families.
Tryon Palace
June 17, 2021, 7-8 p.m.
North Carolina's Liberation Story (Online Event)
Free. Registration Required.
Join Angela Thorpe of the N.C. African American Heritage Commission to explore how enslaved people experienced liberation, and how Black people liberated themselves and others, between 1863-1865 in North Carolina. Participants will also learn about the various sites, landscapes, and people that are connected to these liberation stories. This lecture will occur via Zoom. Please RSVP.
N.C. State Capitol
June 19, 2021, 9 a.m.-noon
Commemorate Juneteenth at the State Capitol
Free.
Visitors are invited to visit the Capitol grounds while chalk artist Kiara Sanders creates line drawings on the sidewalks of the Juneteenth flag and portraits of freedmen and freedwomen whose lives intersected with the State Capitol. The public is encouraged to help color in the portraits and to write the names of other ancestors who lived in bondage to create a colorful visual celebration of the legacy of emancipation and Juneteenth. Historic interpreters from the Capitol will be present to share context and history about the holiday and the early history of Raleigh. This morning of art and reflection will precede the inaugural Capital City Juneteenth Celebration at Dix Park.
Stagville State Historic Site
June 19, 2021, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Juneteenth at Stagville
Free.
Almost a thousand people were freed at Stagville at the end of the Civil War. How did freedom come? What did emancipation really mean? What hopes, dreams and fears did freed families have?
At Juneteenth, Stagville celebrates emancipation and explores the history of the struggle for freedom on one of North Carolina's largest plantations. Guided site tours about emancipation will be offered from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This event is free for all.
Somerset Place State Historic Site
June 19, 2021, 1 p.m.
Somerset Place in the New South Tour
$3 per person.
A 75-minute special tour, "Somerset Place in the New South: From Plantation to State Historic Site, 1865 - Present." Visitors will learn about the post-Civil War history of Somerset Place on this new tour, including the demise of slavery, the period after the Collins family's ownership, and the lives of newly freed African Americans from the plantation. Interpreters will examine how Somerset Place was preserved as a public site and how memories and interpretations of its history changed from the Jim Crow Era to the present.
North Carolina State Parks
William B. Umstead State Park
Friday, June 11 - 5:30 p.m. to Monday, June 21, 3:30 p.m.
Juneteenth StoryWalk
Free.
Start Location: Inspiration Trail, Reedy Creek Access
Hike Length and Difficulty: 0.5 miles, Easy
A StoryWalk is a children's book and a walking trail combined. Come walk the short 1/2 mile Inspiration Trail and read a story about Juneteenth, the American holiday that celebrates freedom.
Hammocks Beach State Park
Friday, June 11 - 9 a.m. to Monday, June 21, 7 p.m.
Juneteenth StoryWalk
Free.
Start Location: Live Oak Trail
Hike Length and Difficulty: 0.5 miles, Easy
A StoryWalk is a children's book and a walking trail combined. Come walk the short ½-mile Live Oak Trail and read a story about Juneteenth, the American holiday that celebrates freedom.
Lake James State Park
Friday, June 11, noon to Monday, June 21 3:30 p.m.
Juneteenth StoryWalk
Free.
Start Location: Sandy Cliff Overlook Trail at Catawba River Area
Hike Length and Difficulty: 0.5 miles, Easy
A StoryWalk is a children's book and a walking trail combined. Come walk the short ½-mile Sandy Cliff Overlook Trail and read a story about Juneteenth, the American holiday that celebrates freedom.
Jones Lake State Park
Friday, June 11, 10 a.m. to Monday, June 21- 5 p.m.
Juneteenth StoryWalk
Free.
Start Location: Cedar Loop Trail
Hike Length and Difficulty: 1 mile, Easy
A StoryWalk is a children's book and a walking trail combined. Come walk the Cedar Loop Trail (1 mile) and read a story about Juneteenth, the American holiday that celebrates freedom.
Haw River State Park
Friday, June 18, 1-3 p.m.
Geology Hike on Juneteenth
Start Location: Iron Ore Belt Access
Hike Length and Difficulty: 1.6 miles, Easy
Enjoy a hike with a park ranger as we explore the unique geology of the Iron Ore Belt Access. Meet at the parking lot/ trailhead for a quick presentation about the park's geologic history, then enjoy a 1.6-mile hike which includes a preview of the Iron Ore Pit Trail. Please bring water and sturdy hiking shoes.
Reserve your spot on this hike by leaving a voicemail at 336-342-6163 Extension 701.
Hammocks Beach State Park
Saturday, June 19, 2-3 p.m.
Juneteenth Guided StoryWalk
Free.
Start Location: Nature Trail
Hike Length and Difficulty: 0.5 miles, Easy
Join park staff as they take a storybook hike in celebration of Juneteenth. Follow the StoryWalk hiking trail through the woods of Hammocks Beach State Park while reading the picture book "Juneteenth, for Mazie" by Floyd Cooper. Meet at Trailhead.
North Carolina Museum of Art
The full schedule is below, and more information can be found at ncartmuseum.org/juneteenth.
Sweet Honey In The Rock® Live in Concert
Friday, June 18, 7:30 pm
Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park
Tickets go on sale Thursday, May 27, for members, and Friday, May 28, for nonmembers
Kick off your weekend with a live in-person concert by Sweet Honey In The Rock®, the three-time Grammy-nominated performance ensemble rooted in African American history and culture. Commissioned by the North Carolina Museum of Art, this special Juneteenth- and Father’s Day–themed performance will educate, entertain, and empower the audience through the dynamic vehicles of a cappella singing and American Sign Language interpretation for people who are deaf or those hard of hearing.
Liberation Station Live!
Saturday, June 19, 10 a.m.–noon
Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park
Free; registration required
Honor Juneteenth with two in-person story times with Victoria Scott-Miller of Liberation Station at 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. There will be art activities for families as well as music and dancing! An American Sign Language interpreter will be available at both story times. Space is limited; register your family today.
A Conversation with Linda Simmons-Henry, Author of Culture Town
Saturday, June 19, noon–1:15 p.m.
East Building, SECU Auditorium or Virtual
Free; registration required
Join us for an insightful conversation with Linda Simmons-Henry, author of Culture Town: Life in Raleigh's African American Communities. Held in person in the socially distanced SECU Auditorium and also available virtually, the talk covers the character of African American neighborhoods in the capital city as captured through oral histories, photography, and architectural plans. Simmons-Henry discusses eight Raleigh neighborhoods—Method, Oberlin, Nazareth, Fourth Ward, College Park, Idlewild, Smoky Holly, and East Raleigh-Chavis.
The conversation is moderated by Dr. Everett B. Ward, former member of the Raleigh Historical Development Commission and the 35th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s first African American intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity.
Co-sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Phi Lambda Chapter
Film Screening and Discussion: Wilmington on Fire
Saturday, June 19, 2–4:30 p.m.
East Building, SECU Auditorium or Virtual
Free; registration required
Join us in person in the socially distanced SECU Auditorium or virtually for a screening and discussion of the feature-length documentary Wilmington on Fire. After the screening, stay for a conversation with Director/Producer Christopher Everett, which will be moderated by the NCMA’s director of performing arts and film, Moses T. Alexander Greene.
Wilmington on Fire (2015). Directed by Christopher Everett, 89 min., NR
In 1898 Wilmington was North Carolina’s largest city, with a majority Black population, a thriving Black middle class, and a biracial Republican-Populist fusion government. On November 10 an armed mob of Democrat-backed white supremacists opened fire on African American neighborhoods, slaughtering hundreds and driving thousands out of the city for good. Director Christopher Everett amassed rare photographs, original research, and testimonies from historians and descendants of the victims to uncover a shocking event that marked a turning point in the politics of the post-Reconstruction South.
Co-sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Phi Lambda Chapter
Outdoor Film Screening: Mr. SOUL!
Saturday, June 19, 8:30–10:30 p.m.
Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park, gates open 7:30 p.m.
$5 Members, $7 Nonmembers
Join us in person for a special outdoor screening of the Critic’s Choice Award–winning documentary Mr. SOUL! After the screening stay to watch a prerecorded conversation with the film’s director, Melissa Haizlip, moderated by the NCMA’s director of performing arts and film, Moses T. Alexander Greene.
Mr. SOUL! (2018). Directed by Melissa Haizlip, 104 min., NR
From 1968 to 1973 the public television variety show SOUL! guided by the enigmatic producer and host Ellis Haizlip, offered an unfiltered, uncompromising celebration of Black literature, poetry, music, and politics featuring voices that had few other options for national exposure and as a result, found the program an improbable place to call home.
The series was among the first to provide expanded images of African Americans on television, shifting the gaze from inner-city poverty and violence to the vibrancy of the Black Arts Movement. With participants’ recollections and illuminating archival clips, Mr. SOUL! captures a critical moment in culture that continues to resonate and an unsung hero whose voice we need now more than ever.
Celebrating Black Music Month with DJ Thoro
Sunday, June 20, 3–7:30 p.m.
Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park
Free; no registration required
Join DJ Thoro (Daniel Thurston) for an afternoon celebrating Black Music Month as he spins the best in classic soul, R and B, jazz, blues, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, neo soul, hip-hop, reggae, funk, house, calypso, and more!