The second annual Chapel Hill-Carrboro Juneteenth Celebration will be taking place Sunday, June 19, at Hargraves Community Center from 2 to 6 p.m. — marking the second year Chapel Hill and Carrboro have joined to celebrate Emancipation Day after declaring official observance and commemoration in 2020.

The event is being planned by representatives from Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP and NAACP Youth Council, the Marion Cheek Jackson Center for Saving and Making History, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Office of Equity and Engagement, the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA), and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

“I’m so excited for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community to be introduced to a multitude of Black-owned businesses in food vendors throughout the area,” said Kendall Lytle, a member of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Youth Council. “The movement to #BuyBlack has always been so important to me, so the opportunity to promote these Black-owned businesses is an honor.”

The celebration will include live music from local Black artists, a Black-owned small business fair, kids activities, food trucks and much more in celebration and remembrance. The main stage will feature a variety of local musical acts, including the Gospel Winds, the R&B ensemble Souls of Joy, hip-hop performer Kevin “Rowdy” Rowsey, and steel drummer highlight Mickey Mills & Steel. Chapel Hill Poet Laureate CJ Suitt and Carrboro Poet Laureate Fred Joiner will also perform on this stage. Check out the gallery below for images of artists and short descriptions from the event’s website!

Zion Project was formed in the year 2010 as a praise team at Faith Tabernacle Oasis of Love Church in Chapel Hill. The members are Malika Mills (lead singer), Cheryl Long (back up singer), and Dianne George (back up singer). We the sister’s of Zion are apart of Mickey Mills and Steel. Were excited to give thanks and praise in our unique style of Caribbean Soul, and uplifting message in song.
Finesse consists of a group of talented musicians who have been performing over a span of twenty years in the triangle area and beyond. Our goal is to touch and inspire hearts and souls throughout our communities as music has done for generations around the world.
Fred Joiner is a poet and curator based in Chapel Hill, NC. He is 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow and the current Poet Laureate for the Town of Carrboro.
The Bouncing Bulldogs Jump Rope Team is comprised of 160 boys and girls from the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area of North Carolina, ranging in age from 5 to 26. Their innovative jumping style includes fancy footwork, flips, and other acrobatic skills with ropes of various lengths.
Gospel Group from Chapel Hill
Kevin “Rowdy” Rowsey is a National Recording Artist, Writer, Actor, and Educator based in the North Carolina Triangle Area. Rowdy has been featured on BET, NPR, PBS Kids, and has given a TEDX talk on the importance of Hip Hop Culture. Rowsey is a U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador through the U.S. Department of State and the Next Level Hip Hop Program. Rowdy hopes spread southern hip hop at a national and international level through performance, writing and educational workshops inspiring the culture through the craft.
CJ Suitt (he/him/they/them) is a performance poet, arts educator, and community organizer from Chapel Hill, N.C., whose work is rooted in storytelling and social justice. Suitt was appointed as the Town of Chapel Hill’s first poet laureate in 2019.

 

Outside of music and stage performances, local small business owners will be selling handcrafted goods and wares, non-profits and community groups will be present providing information and opportunities for interested attendees to get involved, local Black-owned restaurants and food trucks will have a large variety of dishes available, and there will even be a basketball clinic for kids inside the Hargraves gym, along with a special performance from local favorite — and nationally recognized! —  jump rope team, the Bouncing Bulldogs! Local Black-owned businesses and organizations will be highlighted throughout the event. Small business vendors will sell handcrafted goods and wares inside the center, while non-profits and community groups will engage eventgoers outside. Local Black-owned restaurants and food trucks will serve a variety of foods and special menu items, and organizers will have assembled exhibits for attendees to learn more about local Black history and culture.

Planning is still underway for Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s in-person Juneteenth Celebration. Regular updates will be shared via social media and the official website at chapelhillcarrborojuneteenth.org.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

 

Related Stories
‹
Juneteenth Celebration Returning to Downtown Chapel Hill and Carrboro
The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro will host their fourth annual Juneteenth Celebration on Sunday, June 16 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hargraves Community Center. The Hargraves Center is located at 216 North Roberson Street in Chapel Hill. Multiple experiences are planned for the celebration, including a market and expo featuring […]
Chapel Hill, Carrboro Celebrates Juneteenth With Motorcade Event
The Chapel Hill and Carrboro communities were among many which celebrated Juneteenth this weekend. Held for the first time as a federal holiday, one of the local events was a motorcade through historic Black communities in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.
Chapel Hill, Carrboro to Host Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration
A coalition of local organizations are inviting the community to participate in Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s first annual Juneteenth celebrations.
Honoring Chapel Hill's Black Builders: UNC Landmarks and the Local Faces Who Built Them
Maps are storytellers, but they can exclude certain narratives. Fowota Mortoo said that’s the case for Chapel Hill’s Black builders.
Uproar Festival of Public Art to Return to Orange County in August
The Uproar Festival of Public Art returns this August to showcase large-scale, bold works of art outdoors in Orange County.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to Affect Local Government Services (2025)
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 20 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect this year: Town of Chapel Hill Town offices will be closed on Monday. Residential trash normally collected on Monday will be collected on Wednesday, January 22. Curbside recycling […]
Christmas Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County (2024)
The Christmas holiday will affect several local government services. Here’s a rundown of what Orange County residents can expect.
Thanksgiving Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County
Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, Nov. 28 this year, and the holiday will affect several local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a rundown of what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Thursday, Nov. 28 and Friday, Nov. 29 are both town holidays. Residential trash collection will not be affected. However, there […]
Inter-City Visit 2024, Part 2: One Month Later
This year's Chamber Inter-City Visit brought local leaders to Ann Arbor to talk sustainability and housing - and maybe street performers.
Here Are Ways You Can Donate to Local Drives for Hurricane Helene Relief
After Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last week, numerous local organizations, businesses and schools have set up donation drives to help those affected. Below is a list of drives around our area, in alphabetical order by the group: All About Insurance shifted its regular Sock-Tober clothing drive to exclusively support Hurricane Helene relief efforts. […]
›