FAYETTEVILLE, NC: Book Black Women, Inc. and No Longer Bound Entertainment, LLC announce a three-part JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION powered by Circa 1865, Inc.
On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas with news of freedom. More than 250,000 African Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day. For 156 years, Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth as an official-unofficial holiday. In 2021 President Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as the nation’s newest federal holiday, helping more Americans learn from history, acknowledge progress, and press forward to continue the work laid out by Black American ancestors. In an act of collaboration, Ayana Washington [Book Black Women, Inc.], Cerina Johnson [No Longer Bound Entertainment, LLC], and Kia Anthony [Circa 1865, Inc.] have partnered in an effort to honor the past, celebrate the present, and step into the future with a three-day Juneteenth Celebration.
- June 19, 2024: The Juneteenth Celebration will kick off with the reprisal of the original stage production, 400 Years: The Evolution of Black America. Following the success of the production’s 2023 debut, Washington and Johnson plan to bring it back to the stage!
- June 22, 2024: The Juneteenth Celebration will continue with The Juneteenth Freedom Block Party on Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville. During this free event, the community can experience black-owned food trucks and shop with local black-owned businesses. Attendees can also immerse themselves in empowering Black History education, and two-step to culturally-significant music!
- June 23, 2024: The Juneteenth Celebration will end with The Juneteenth Heritage Brunch at Carver’s Creek State Park in Spring Lake, where enslaved Black Americans were buried. This symbolic gesture of breaking bread will allow descendants and allies alike to celebrate the uncharted possibilities of the future!
Highlights of last year’s Juneteenth event, 400 Years – The Evolution of Black American Independence at the Cape Fear Regional Theater, June 20, 2023; Photo Credit: Tracey Morrison/The Exclusive Press
Book Black Women, Inc., No Longer Bound Entertainment, LLC., and Circa 1865, Inc focus on enriching Cumberland County by uplifting people in their communities. All three entities seek to expose communities to culturally influenced modes of art that highlight the black experience in entertaining ways. These organizations endeavor to open the door to in-depth conversation and create authentic safe spaces to just… be!
For more information, sponsorship opportunities, to become a vendor, visit: https://linktr.ee/juneteenthcelebration.
