There are several opportunities to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday in the Lowcountry. Check out the individual events below.
This festival is open to all cultures, but will specifically target the national African American community and seek to galvanize the rising awareness, popularity and pride in celebrating the Juneteenth holiday. During this event, and as a sobering reflection of Charleston serving as the number one slave port sending enslaved people to various destinations, “All roads lead to Charleston, SC”
We will tap into the richness of the history, culture and flavor of The Lowcountry. This event will be branded as a yearly destination for the celebration of the Juneteenth holiday!
Celebrating Juneteenth in Charleston, South Carolina as a large-scale event is significant to our heritage and who we are as a people. Originating in Galveston, Texas, Juneteenth is now celebrated throughout the United States annually on the 19th of June, with varying official recognition. Juneteenth pays tribute and celebrates the journey to freedom, the contributions, ingenuity, and sacrifices that were made by those who came before us. Charleston has an abundantly rich black history due to its Gullah Geechee roots and because nearly half of enslaved Africans (Afrikans) brought to America came through Charleston, and nearly 80 percent of African-Americans can potentially trace an ancestor who arrived in Charleston.Juneteenth is a pivotal milestone in African American history. It demonstrates the long, enduring fight for freedom. It took nearly two and half years for those who were enslaved, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas to finally be free from enslavement when the Union soldiers arrived, many of whom were black, to enforce the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation (Delaware and Kentucky, would not come until several months later, on December 18th, 1865 through the Thirteenth Amendment).
“Juneteenth” also referred to as Freedom Day or Liberation Day is the longest running African American Holiday celebrating the emancipation of African Americans who had been enslaved in the United States. Through Lowcountry Juneteenth Week and Festival, we aim to magnify an often overlooked moment in African American history. Join us June 14th – June 20th as we empower, celebrate and educate thru Gullah History, arts and culture. Juneteenth Week will highlight black owned business with curated events throughout the city. The festival will include a family day of fun on Saturday June 19th at The Bend, a breathtaking waterfront venue located in beautiful North Charleston. The family affair will feature children’s activities, food trucks, vendors, performances, live concert, firework finale and more.
Charleston Area Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History 