For the past 11 years, Neuse Regional Libraries have held a Juneteenth program commemorating the end of slavery. Created by then Youth Services librarian Antuan Hawkins with the help of his community connections and know-how, the Juneteenth celebration began as an edutainment program to tell this important and widely unknown story. Various performers brought their talent to the Library, teaching and telling this important story in our nation’s history.

While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and put into effect on January 1, 1863, it would be another two and a half years for the news to be shared across all Confederate states. On June 19, 1865 two-thousand Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, the last Confederate controlled state, to announce the end of the Civil War and that all enslaved people were freed. Known also as Freedom Day, Juneteenth was born out of the celebrations of the newly liberated masses.

Over the past 11 years,  the librarians entrusted with the task of bringing Juneteenth to the public have changed, but one community member has remained a constant. Brenda Stewart, a long time Kinston community member and artist, starts each Juneteenth with libations, an offering of drink and a call to the ancestors to bless the proceedings. 

“The program has progressed through the years, but it has always been about telling a story, providing education, and bringing the community together,” Ms. Stewart explains when asked about her thoughts on the growth of the program over the years. While many may view Juneteenth as an African American holiday, Ms. Stewart says the point of the program is to “bring awareness to Juneteenth as a major part of our country’s history.” 

All over the country, Juneteenth is gaining mainstream prominence. As of 2020, the City of Kinston officially recognized Juneteenth as a paid holiday for city employees. Celebrations and commemorations are popping up all over the country, and Eastern North Carolina is no exception. This year the Kinston-Lenoir County Public Library has decided to take the program outside. 

On Saturday, June 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the African-American Music Trail Park on the corner of Queen Street and Springhill Drive, the community is invited to enjoy performances from local artists, including Antuan Hawkins, Dr. Malcolm Beech Sr., the StageLyfe dance troupe, spoken word poet Chyna Roberts, Bonita Simmons and more. There will be games and activities for children and local city and county government representatives will be on hand. Non-profit organizations such as Greene Lamp, Freedom on the Inside, INC, the African American Heritage Commission of Kinston and Lenoir County, NC, INC and more will also have information tables available. The Library also reached out and invited local African American artists and creators to sell their crafts and wares. Other local businesses will be present as well; there will surely be something for everyone!

The Library would not have been able to take on this project alone. Sponsors include the Kinston-Lenoir County Friends of the Library, the City of Kinston, Lenoir County Government, and the Community Council for the Arts. The Lenoir County Parks and Recreation Department has been a big help in preparing the African American Music Trail Park site for the festival and a big thanks goes to Dr. Malcolm Beech Sr, Antuan Hawkins, Vickie King, Felicia Solomon, and Brenda Stewart for playing a part in planning, connecting, and coordinating the efforts of this program.  For more information on the Juneteenth program, contact the Library at 252-527-7066, Ext. 134.