Let’s face it: it’s been hot lately—hot on the thermometer to be sure, but also hot with scorching discourse and constant finger-pointing.
As a nation, now is clearly the summer of our discontent, as it sometimes seems like there’s no escape from divisive politics: our climate is heating up in virtually every respect. Still, there are some areas where unity, mutual respect, and resolve arrive like a refreshing breeze, giving us some hope and a bit of cool shade and respite from the rancor, if only for a while.
Such was the Chapel Hill / Carrboro Juneteenth celebration held Thursday evening, June 19 (4-8 p.m.) on the Carrboro Town Commons—surely a verdant oasis in a bleak landscape.
Liberty and legislation
The oldest national commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States, Juneteenth (June 19) marks the day in 1865—exactly 160 years ago—two months after the Civil War ended, when freedom of enslaved people reached Galveston Bay, Texas, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture and the Town of Carrboro website.
While the initial Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 freed slaves, slavery wasn’t completely abolished in the Confederate states.
Locally, the General Assembly recognized Juneteenth as National Freedom Day in North Carolina in 2007, but has not designated Juneteenth as an official state holiday. In 2020, however, Carrboro designated Juneteenth as an official paid holiday for Town employees and urged state and federal legislators to follow suit. In 2021, the US Congress and President Biden approved making Juneteenth National Independence Day a federal holiday, and NC Governor Roy Cooper officially designated Juneteenth (or a day of employees’ choosing) a paid holiday, according to the Town of Chapel Hill website.
For more information, visit the Town of Chapel Hill’s Juneteenth website or information from the Town of Carrboro at “https://www.carrboronc.gov/2714/Juneteenth.”
“Are you not entertained?”
In keeping with the celebratory atmosphere at Carrboro’s Town Commons last Thursday, vendors, presenters, and town officials were all smiles, as were attendees.
“We’ve got several great speakers, several great musicians, and we have 32 different vendors and non-profits,” said Xavi Vallejo, Special Events Coordinator for Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture. “Last year, around a thousand people attended, so that’s what we’re hoping for here.”
Black artisans and Black-owned businesses offered a diverse range of products, including handmade jewelry, figurines, healthcare services, t-shirts, novelties, and more. Black-owned food trucks and businesses were onsite with food and drink, and the event featured a Kids Zone, music and dance, a puppet show by Cate Scholars Puppetry, and a demonstration by the Bouncing Bulldogs jump roping team.
Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee and Chapel Hill Major Jess Anderson welcomed everyone to the festivities, and Chapel Hill’s Poet Laureate Dr. Donovan Livingston stirred the crowd with spoken word poetry. Other entertainers included musicians Story Charlemagne, DJ Dominique Twitty, Mickey Mills and Steel, contemporary dancer Amiya, and music from Hugh Swaso and the Vandals.
“I think it’s beautiful to see Juneteenth happening in Carrboro and to see the Town Commons set up a little differently than with other festivals with the stage in a different place,” said Catherine Lazorko, Carrboro Community and Engagement Director. “… People can come out and stay in the shade, and they’re fine.”
Timing is everything
Town officials and dignitaries hoped that the day might offer inspiration and hope at a time when both seem hard to come by.
“We’re just happy to be able to celebrate this day with the community,” Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee said, extending a welcome to the crowd. “It galvanizes us—it puts a solid stamp on the community and what we’re willing to do to maintain community, to maintain our values: being welcoming, being inclusive, and celebrating the things that appear to be in jeopardy.”
Chapel Hill Mayor Jessica Anderson said the day’s heat was no deterrent when freedom was on the line.
“We’ll put up with the North Carolina summers,” she said, “but what we’re less enthused about is the national politics today, but I’m proud, as always, that Chapel Hill and Carrboro show up.”
Anderson quoted from Chapel Hill University United Methodist Church’s senior pastor, Justin Coleman: “He reminds us that Juneteenth is more relevant than ever…It is a celebration of progress and a challenge to continue…freedom is not a destination we have reached, but a road we are still walking.”
“That’s a journey I’m proud to be on,” Mayor Anderson added, “personally, as part of the town of Chapel Hill, and with everyone here today.”
Independence Day II
The irony of Juneteenth’s proximity to the July 4 Independence Day celebration just weeks thereafter was not lost on anyone.
“It’s a beautiful time when neighbors and the community can meet their elected officials—it’s our other Independence Day,” Lazorko said.
“Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day,” Mayor Foushee affirmed. “It has really been celebrated in the African American community, and the historical legacy shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times. We just have to hold on until the tide turns.”
Foushee said Juneteenth was a celebration of freedom and resilience, reminding us of the importance of acknowledging and learning from the past.
“Now, every June, we celebrate the end of fear and the end of hate with songs and stories,” she said. “Everybody is feeling this oppression. But I really want us to have…confidence that trouble does not last always.
“The tide will turn,” Mayor Foushee said. “We just got to hang on and keep hope alive.”
“Yes, the road is steep,” Mayor Anderson said in a speech to the crowd. “Yes, there are headwinds—probably more at the moment than we’ve seen in a while. But I truly believe, with solidarity and community, Chapel Hill and Carrboro will keep moving forward toward a more just and equitable future.”
Asked if she was worried that the current national powers-that-be might diminish the celebration or even move to eliminate it.
“I don’t know if (Trump) has rescinded it, and I don’t know if he even knows about it,” Mayor Anderson said, matter-of-factly, “but we have certainly not rescinded it.”
Spoken word poet, UNC and Harvard Graduate School of Education graduate Dr. Donovan Livingston charged those present to carry on the remembrance of America’s story—warts and all—despite devaluation and revisionist histories, citing fellow poet Alexis Pauline Gumbs:
“The story we have in this country is far more expansive than we ever care to realize and never care to remember. Because you’re here today, it’s a reminder of your responsibility to tell the story, to be the story, and to write the next chapter.”