Celebrating Juneteenth 2024
Posted on June 18, 2024In observance of Juneteenth, the Museum of Durham History will be CLOSED on Wednesday, 6/19.
The youngest of the federally-recognized holidays, Juneteenth has only recently been widely acknowledged by Americans outside of the Black community. As a city rich with African American history, Durham has a lot to offer this week in celebration of our country’s second Independence Day. We also welcome everyone to enjoy our online exhibits that celebrate Black history.
2024 Juneteenth at Stagville Open House – June 22nd, 10am-2pm, 5828 Old Oxford Road
Visit Stagville for the site’s annual Juneteenth event to remember the struggle and celebration of freedom at one of the state’s largest plantations. Explore local history about slavery and freedom, and visit original slave quarters at Horton Grove to reflect and remember enslaved ancestors. Stories of love, loss, freedom, family, and resistance will illuminate the complex history of the transition to freedom in 1865.
Party in the Park: Juneteenth Edition – June 19th, 12pm-2pm, Hub RTP Experience Center
Hub RTP invites you to its Party in the Park: Juneteenth Edition at the Hub RTP Experience Center. This picnic-style event offers food and fun for the whole family, featuring food trucks, large lawn games and music!
Juneteenth Jamboree – June 19th, 7pm-9pm, Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Celebrate Juneteenth led by three powerhouse artists of color who use their music as a vehicle for community organizing. Reservations are highly recommended and will be made available at dukearts.org. Tickets for this free event are always claimed quickly, so book as early as possible. They will also accept walk-ups on the day of the event on a first-come, first-served basis until the event has reached capacity.
Celebrate Juneteenth in Durham
Durham encourages you to celebrate Juneteenth in Durham by attending events, learning more about the day, reflecting and supporting Black-owned businesses! Plenty of resources at this link.
Louis E. Austin and the Carolina Times
Editor and publisher of the Carolina Times from 1927 to 1971, Louis Austin was a key leader in the civil rights struggle in North Carolina. He helped found the Durham Committee on Negro Affairs (1935) and was an architect of the first lawsuit to challenge segregated public education in the South (1933). He organized the first integrated football game in the South, in 1947. He always sought to tell “THE TRUTH UNBRIDLED”.
Meeting at the Finish Line: Coaches Walker and Buehler
Dr. LeRoy Walker and Al Buehler became friends at the height of segregation in the South, forming a brotherhood that would change the history of track and field. Few may be familiar with how Durham’s track and field community, behind the leadership of Walker and Buehler, was such a force for change in race relations.
The partnerships between local institutions, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and Duke University, combined with an eager community, have created a historically nourishing musical atmosphere in Durham. Durham has contributed hundreds of talented musicians to the jazz world and shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
Historic Russell Scool: Durham’s Las t Rosenwald Schoolhouse
Durham’s sole surviving example of the Rosenwald movement. The school was built in 1927 as part of a system of schools funded by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and local communities in the rural South to provide education for African Americans during segregation.
Coach Mac: Innovator and Integrator
John McLendon came to Durham in 1937, and in 1940 took over as head coach of North Carolina College, now North Carolina Central University. He introduced his unique brand of basketball, which included the full-court zone defense and four corners delay offense. Later in his career, McLendon became the first African American head coach in a major professional league, with the American Basketball League’s Cleveland Pipers
A Creative Protest: MLK Comes to Durham
Dr. King made several visits to Durham between 1956 and 1964 and gave six speeches, including his “Creative Protest” address at the White Rock Baptist Church in 1960. A Creative Protest these speeches in relation to the Civil Rights Movement at the local and national level. This exhibit features stories from local residents about Durham during the Civil Rights Era, their relationships with Dr. King, and reactions to his assassination.