MAULDIN S.C. (FOX Carolina) – It’s been a year in the making—the city of Mauldin is holding its first Juneteenth celebration tomorrow at the Mauldin Cultural Center.
“The city of Mauldin had plans to celebrate and honor Juneteenth, but they also wanted it to reflect the community- that’s where people like myself came in,” said April Evans the event MC and planning committee leader.
The idea for this celebration came after Mauldin City council declared Juneteenth an official holiday last November. They established a steering committee of community leaders like Evans to make it happen.
“They connected with us, and we wanted to make sure this Juneteenth celebration reflected the historic Juneteenth celebrations of earlier years,” she said.
At Saturday’s event, expert food trucks, more than 35 local vendors, choir and dance performances, 90′s music and local history.
“Like what was the first Black congregation in Mauldin? Bet you don’t know– but you will find out. We’re going to talk about the first Black school in Mauldin, but there are a lot of rich historical Black facts right here in Mauldin,” said Evans.
Juneteenth officially became a federal holiday in 2021 and many states followed suit. Despite the fact South Carolina lawmakers have not, many upstate cities and organizations have.
Celebrations were held this year in Greenville, Anderson, Fountain Inn, and Greer. Also, Spartanburg Juneteenth has hosted events since 2016.
“It lets me know that these cities, these communities, they see us. They see us– us meaning Black people. And to me, that warms my heart because it lets me know that I’m valued, lets me know that I’m celebrated and lets me know that they appreciate the contributions that we give to this community as well,” said Evans.
The popularity of Juneteenth celebrations have wavered through history, but Evans says Mauldin’s event is here to stay.
“Being that we’ve gotten such a great response so far, I expect for the vendors to grow, the food truck vendors to grow, in addition to our performances, which means we need to have more time right here in the city of Mauldin,” she said.
The celebration in Mauldin starts at 2pm – 6pm at the Mauldin Cultural Center. Evans says everyone is welcome to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the experience.
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