Juneteenth Celebration!

This is an edited summary of an interview with Michelle Blume, Recreation Supervisor in Carrboro and Xavi Vallejo, Special Events Coordinator in Chapel Hill. The interview aired live on WCOM 103.5 on June 8. You can listen to the recording here.

Juneteenth Flag & Historical Meaning

Tell us about the original Juneteenth flag.
Michelle Blume (MB): The red, white, and blue flag is the original Juneteenth flag, which affirms that enslaved people were Americans and that the flag marks their freedom, specifically June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce emancipation. The original colors are often overshadowed by the more familiar red, black, green, yellow Pan‑African colors.

The five‑point star in the center represents Texas (the Lone Star State) and the freedom of formerly enslaved people across all 50 states. The 13‑point outer “nova” shape (flower‑like starburst) symbolizes a new star in space, a fresh start and new beginning. The arc/horizon, not always visible on every printed version, represents a new horizon and hope.

They’ll be handing out some of these original Juneteenth flags to the first ~200 attendees at the celebration.

Event Overview & Collaboration

Tell us what's planned for the event and how the towns collaborated.
MB and Xavi Vallejo (XV): It’s a joint Carrboro–Chapel Hill Juneteenth celebration held at Hargraves Community Center in Chapel Hill on Friday, June 19, 4–8 pm. The two towns have collaborated on this event for about three years, alternating sites between Hargraves and Carrboro Town Commons. The event has been growing each year and the towns make a point of celebrating on the actual holiday.

Community Partners & Planning Process

How does the planning process work and who are the community partners?
XV: Planning typically starts 5–6 months before Juneteenth. They convene community partners to guide programming, including: The Marian Cheek Jackson Center, EMPOWERment Inc., UNC partners, NAACP and NAACP Youth Council. There is a core group of partners each year, but they continually ask: “What new voices need to be in the room?”

How are youth and elders included in planning?
MB: They intentionally invited youth leaders from the NAACP Youth Council and elders from the community. Meetings were held at St. Paul AME Church, historically a safe space where Black community members have gathered to organize. These meetings led to decisions to: re‑center the original Juneteenth flag and colors, and ensure the event is both fun and purposeful, rooted in accurate history and community meaning. Each planning meeting started with the question: “What does Juneteenth mean to you?”

Hargraves Community Center: Historical & Cultural Weight

Why is Hargraves Community Center such a significant site for Juneteenth?
MB: A historical marker at Hargraves commemorates nine decades of Black community life in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Hargraves has been:

• A gathering place for Navy veterans and NAACP.
• A site where Michael Jordan and UNC players played pickup basketball.
• A hub for baby showers, birthday parties, tutoring, after‑school programs, and summer camps.

Historically, when the broader community was not always welcoming, Hargraves was a safe space Black residents could call their own. “Hargraves wasn’t just a building, it was a home.”

Spoken Word, Poetry & Oral Tradition

Why is spoken word and poetry such a big part of this year’s Juneteenth celebration?
MB: There is a concern these days that history is being erased in real time. In Black culture, oral tradition is where history has lived and survived. You can remove a marker or rewrite a textbook, but you cannot silence stories passed voice‑to‑voice, generation‑to‑generation.

Poetry makes people pause, feel, and respond—snap fingers, breathe, say “wow.” It becomes a living archive of Black experiences and liberation.

Who are the featured poets and spoken word artists?

• Dr. Amanda Bennett – Poet Laureate of Carrboro
• Dr. Donovan Livingston – Poet Laureate of Chapel Hill
• Student poets from Carrboro High School’s Poetic Justice League. These students bring poetry into community spaces and events.

Youth Voices & Youth Ambassadors

Why is it important to center youth perspectives in a history‑anchored Juneteenth event?
XV: Juneteenth means different things to different people, so multiple perspectives are essential. Youth perspectives:

• Ensure the event responds to current community needs and wants.
• Help bridge generations and support both celebration and education.
• Bring in the next generation to sustain the meaning of Juneteenth.

What is the youth ambassador initiative and how does it work?
MB and XV: Youth ambassadors help promote the event primarily via social media and their personal networks. Community leaders like Danita Mason‑Hogans, Lorie Clark, and Rev. Campbell helped organizers connect with youth. Youth use platforms like Instagram, X, etc. (beyond Facebook) to spread the word, share hashtags, draw their peers into the celebration. This is the first year of the youth ambassador initiative. They expect to learn from the experience this year and grow it in future years.

Balancing Celebration and History

How do you balance high‑energy celebration with deep historical reflection?
MB: Many events accidentally target just one slice of the community. With the Juneteenth celebration, they try to appeal to multiple senses and interests:

• Music and soul performances (e.g., Kay Marion & The Neo Symphony, Tre. Charles, line dances)
• Food (a cookout feel—burgers, ribs, chicken, fish)
• Vendors and an art market
• History exhibits and conversations (e.g., with the Jackson Center)

They encourage intergenerational interaction, especially youth–elder dialogue. The design is intentional so that everyone can find a meaningful way to enter the space—through joy, learning, community, or all three.

Vendors, Black‑Owned Businesses & Accessibility

How competitive is the vendor selection and what are the criteria?
MB and XV: As the event has grown, applications have increased sharply. Space at the venues is limited, so vendor slots are competitive. Vendor selection is rigorous, with a focus on thematic relevance to Juneteenth and Black culture, and responsiveness to community and cultural context. Selection is guided in part by community members who help judge relevance. The competition reflects strong community interest and the event’s growing reach and reputation.

How does the expo support local Black‑owned businesses beyond just this event?
MB and XV: Once selected, vendors can opt in to receive future event announcements and applications, and build ongoing relationships with the towns for other events. This event provides exposure to a wide audience of attendees and opportunities to network with other vendors and nonprofits. The focus is on local vendors so attendees can find them again nearby, not just online.

Vendors are encouraged to sell affordable goods and services—not one‑time novelty Juneteenth‑only items that get forgotten by July 1. Many attendees use the event to shop for gifts (including early holiday shopping), so vendors gain both visibility and revenue.

Why is it important that the event and vendor participation be free?
MB: The event is free to attend and free for vendors to apply/participate (no booth fees). Keeping it free makes the event accessible to all and allows vendors to keep more of their earnings, strengthening local small businesses. It also encourages a broader and more diverse mix of community members to join. “We don’t want money to determine who gets to celebrate.”

Logistics, Parking & Practical Tips

What’s the best way to navigate the site on Friday, and what should attendees know about parking?
MB and XV: Be on time—come early, don’t roll in late. Bring your wallet to support food trucks and local vendors. Expect heat and consider a change of clothes. Bring a fan and stay hydrated. Some free fans will be given out to participants.

• Parking & shuttles: Park at Northside Elementary School. Chapel Hill Transit will provide shuttles running about every 15 minutes between Northside and Hargraves from roughly 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Transit: Regular Chapel Hill Transit bus service will be running that day.

Atmosphere, Music & Final Message

What kind of atmosphere can people expect at the Juneteenth celebration?
MB and XV: A family‑friendly, all‑ages, welcoming environment where everyone can “come as you are.”

There's an emphasis on:

• Safety – a space where people feel free to be themselves.
• Joy – high‑energy music, dancing, and fellowship.
• Connection – “Come meet a neighbor, you might leave with a new friend.”

Music and entertainment:

• DJ Brian Dawson (from K 97.5 in Raleigh) will be leading music on stage.
• Dr. Lonnie Marie will lead line dancing.
• Performances from artists like Kay Marion & The Neo Symphony and Tre. Charles.
• Line‑dancing favorites like “803 Fresh – Boots on the Ground.”

There will be face painting (free for kids; adults can join in too).

For more details on the event, Xavi directs listeners to chapelhillarts.org, which hosts a dedicated Juneteenth event webpage with all key information. You can also find more information about Carrboro's Juneteenth celebrations here.

Auxiliary Events & Extending the Celebration

Other events during Juneteenth weekend expand the celebration. Beyond the main Friday festival at Hargraves, other events in Carrboro include:

• Elizabeth June at The ArtsCenter, Friday at 7:30pm
• Tank and the Bangas at Cat’s Cradle (Backyard), Saturday at 5pm

MB: These events extend the energy of Juneteenth across the entire weekend and turn the celebration from just a moment into part of a longer community response.