What does Juneteenth celebrate?
Juneteenth celebrates the liberation of the enslaved people of Texas at the end of the Civil War.
Pres. Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, freeing all enslaved people in the Confederate states, but it couldn’t be fully enforced until 1865, when federal troops occupied all of the south.
Some enslaved people weren’t freed until later that year, but the June 19 enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston marked the symbolic end of American slavery.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture calls it “our country’s second Independence Day.”
What began as a local holiday in Galveston has spread nationwide as a day to celebrate Black freedom, heritage and culture with parades, picnics, festivals and ceremonies.
According to the Galveston Historical Foundation, more than 200 cities across the U.S. now hold Juneteenth celebrations.
It became the newest federal holiday in 2021.
How will Asheville celebrate Juneteenth?
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Association of Asheville and Buncombe County has partnered with the city of Asheville and Buncombe County to put on half a dozen events from June 16 to 19.
The YMI Cultural Center also has a full roster of Juneteenth events that week.
“I am expecting a wonderful event again this year,” Dr. Oralene Simmons, civil rights activist and founder of the MLK Association, told the Citizen Times June 9. “This is something that, I feel, people have looked forward to all year.”
Juneteenth has been an official city holiday in Asheville since 2021. Simmons said that their events will kick off with a proclamation from the city.
Rain and thunderstorms are forecast throughout the week, but all events scheduled by the MLK Association are indoors. “I don’t think the rain is going to dampen any of our events,” Simmons said.
June 14
Participants in YMI Cultural Center’s Ujima Virtual 5K can run a 5K independently in the week leading up to an in-person race and a community health fair June 14.
The health fair will have health screenings, live music, movement sessions and activities for kids, as well as “resources to inspire sustainable healthy living,” according to a June 3 news release from YMI Cultural Center.
The goal of the event is “to promote holistic well-being in Asheville’s Black community.”
June 16
The MLK Association will hold a screening and discussion of the short documentary “A Time to Yell,” on the removal of Confederate monuments. 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Stephens Lee Community Center.
June 16 also kicks off a month-long pop-up art exhibition at the YMI Cultural Center with music and “root beer floats for all.” The exhibit “And still we rise,” by the local artist Jenny Pickens will be on display, “celebrating the beauty and perseverance of Black identity.”
June 17
The MLK Association will hold a screening of the documentary “Rosenwald,” on the life of philanthropist and education advocate Julius Rosenwald, who worked with Booker T. Washington to establish schools for Black Children, and a remembrance of voting rights activists James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who were murdered by the KKK in Mississippi in 1964. 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Stephens Lee Community Center.
June 18
On Wednesday, there will be a “Dinner and Discussion” workshop with genealogist Sasha Mitchell on researching family trees. 5:30 to 8 p.m. organized by the MLK Association at the Stephens Lee Community Center.
June 19
On Thursday, there’s a musical event featuring North Carolina gospel singer Mary D. Williams, who the North Carolina Arts Council says on its website has “chronicle(d) the history of the Civil Rights movement through song.” 12 to 2 p.m. organized by the MLK Association at the Shiloh Friendship Center.
The MLK Association’s week of festivities will culminate with a gala of music, food, dancing and an “African attire fashion show” that night, Simmons said. She expects around 300 people to attend. 6 to 9 p.m. at the AB-Tech Conference Center.
On June 19, free tours of the YMI building, “A Tour in Black Resilience,” are scheduled for 12, 2 and 4 p.m., according to a YMI release. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.
Beginning at 10 a.m., tours by YMI partners Collective Noir and Eagle Market Street are set to guide walking tours of the Block, the historically Black downtown district, “highlighting the economic history and cultural significance of Black entrepreneurship in Asheville.”
June 20
The MLK Association and Black Wall Street are partnering with the Asheville Downtown Association to put on a special Juneteenth edition of Downtown After 5.
DJ Phantom Pantone opens for Southern Avenue, “known for their Memphis-style sound blending blues, soul, and gospel,” according to a news release from the Downtown Association. 5 to 9 p.m. at Pack Square Park.
George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at GFRussell@gannett.com.
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