Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration

Performance Schedule

• 4 PM - Mayor Foushee & Mayor Pro Tem Berry

  Carrboro Mayor Foushee and Chapel Hill Mayor Pro Tem Berry will open the celebration by sharing a few words to usher in the day’s festivities and honor the spirit of Juneteenth.

   

   

   

   

• 4:05 PM - Dr. Amanda Bennett

  Dr. Amanda Bennett is the current Carrboro Poet Laureate. She is a poet, cultural critic, and scholar of Black feminist thought whose work centers care, testimony, and collective imagination. She is the author of Working the Roots (Querencia Press, 2025). She currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Grant Operations Management and Creative Engagement with the Arts & Humanities Grant Studio at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

  WEBSITE
• 4:15 PM - Tre. Charles

  Tre. Charles makes music that feels suspended in time—somewhere between memory, confession, and dream. Rooted in soul yet unbound by genre, his work drifts through atmospheric textures, raw emotional crooning, and intimate songwriting that lingers long after the music fades.

  WEBSITE
• 5 PM - DJ Brian Dawson

  Get ready to move! DJ Brian Dawson is bringing the energy, spinning an Old School set that will have you up on your feet and dancing.

   

   

   

   

   

   

• 5:15 PM - Kay Marion & the Neo-Symphony

  Kay Marion is a vibrant multi-genre vocalist, neo-soul songwriter from High Point, NC whose heartfelt lyricism and soaring vocals has impacted audiences all along the East Coast. Her band, the Neo-Symphony, is a collective of musicians dedicated to musical excellence and expression.

  WEBSITE
• 6 PM - CHCCS Poetic Justice League

  Listen as students from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ (CHCCS) Poetic Justice League recite their original poetry.

• 6:20 PM - Dr. Donovan Livingston

  Donovan Livingston is the current Chapel Hill Poet Laureate. He’s an award-winning educator, spoken word poet, and public speaker whose words have inspired millions. With a passion for empowering young minds and communities, Livingston believes every child has the right to “lift off” and achieve their dreams. He serves as Teaching Assistant Professor of Music and Director of College Thriving at UNC Chapel Hill. His work uses culture, hip-hop, and spoken word poetry to ignite change and foster student success.

  WEBSITE
• 6:30 PM - Divine 9

  At the start of the 20th century, a small number of Black students came together from mainly Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to form their own sororities and fraternities. These organizations are known collectively as the National Pan-Hellenic Council or the “Divine Nine”. Each of these organizations were established with unique core values but shared a common goal: to educate and uplift the Black community from racial inequities.

  • Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Founded 1906, Cornell University
  • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Founded 1908, Howard University
  • Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Indiana University
  • Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Howard University
  • Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Founded 1913, Howard University
  • Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Founded 1914, Howard University
  • Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Founded 1920, Howard University
  • Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Founded 1922, Butler University
  • Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Founded 1963, Morgan State University

  Contributions to American History

  Members of these sororities and fraternities were also heavily involved in several social justice movements such as the Women’s Suffrage, Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter. These organizations have made significant strides to help unite Black communities across the US and continue to collectively organize to serve various social causes.

• 6:35 PM - Line Dancing with Dr. Lonnie Marie

  PushFit Nation is a community built around movement, music, fitness, and fun through the Line Dance Fitness Party with Dr. Lonnie Marie. Based in Kernersville, NC, we bring people together to dance, sweat, connect, and have a good time while supporting health and wellness for all ages and fitness levels.

  YOUTUBE
• 7 PM - Daye’ly Melodies band

  

  Melodies 4 Healing is a 501c3, non-profit organization whose mission is to connect local communities with musical performances that boost people’s moods and well-being. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy interventions can address a variety of healthcare & educational goals, including promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, enhance memory, and more.

  Melodies 4 Healing speaks for itself. But it’s also significant that we chose numeral 4 to be a part our name. For us, that number symbolizes healing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically through song. It is our goal reach each one of those through the music that we share with our audiences.

  WEBSITE