About Juneteenth

The History

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.

Why Are We Celebrating?

In keeping with this 150-year-old tradition of celebration, the Peace Center’s Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration is an outward symbol of fellowship and recognition of the significance this day holds in the African American community and American History. Celebrations such as this, drive our mission of representing our vastly diverse community through the arts.

TD STAGE SCHEDULE

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
2:00pm Opening ceremony featuring Tinasha LaRaye’
2:30pm ZAKI West African Dance & Drum Ensemble
3:00pm Alphaeus Anderson & Pure-N-Heart
3:45pm Reggie Rocc
4:15pm Vaughn Newman Dance
4:30pm The Devon Parker Collective
5:00pm Dance Party with DJ JJ Solomon
5:30pm BARRYLE
6:00pm Dance Party with DJ JJ Solomon
6:30pm The Jamie Wright Band

FINALE

7:00-8:00pm

Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues

Kid's Corner

Face painting, crafts, and a host of other activities, all provided by the following

Blood Drive

The Blood Connection will be on-site hosting a blood drive in the Gunter Theatre from 2 PM to 7 PM. To learn more and sign up to donate, click below.

Celebrate Freedom Together

Let us know you’re attending this free event by completing the form below!

Gallery

The
Location

Alphaeus Anderson & Pure-N-Heart

Alphaeus Anderson is a teacher, author, songwriter and musician. He and his wife started the children’s choir Pure-N-Heart over 17 years ago and it has since exploded with interest and rave reviews. The group has one Dove Award nomination and seven Stellar Award nominations with two wins for Best Youth Project of the Year in 2012 and 2019.

Barryle

Singer, songwriter and producer Barryle has been creating and performing for more than two decades. Blending strong vocals and guitar skills, Barryle infuses R&B, hip hop and rock to create what he calls a “flame.” Music burns in his soul, and Barryle is content to flame on.

Reggie Rocc

Born and raised in Spartanburg, SC, Reginald Jones AKA Reggie Rocc is a music and clothing creator, and equally accomplished in both. For his four-album catalogue, the 107.3 Jamz’s 2019 Black History Maker has received two Stellar Award nominations and three Upstate Music Award nominations, including one win for Best Collaboration of the Year.

Jamie Wright Band

The Jamie Wright Band is a collection of many talented musicians with a diversified repertoire of musical styles ranging from jazz and Motown to funk, soul and dance. Bringing members together from several walks of life, The Jamie Wright Band combines individual musical gifts for all to hear and enjoy.

Vaughn Newman

Vaughn Newman Dance converges at the intersection of human consciousness and cultural diversity, bringing soul-stirring and earth-shaking dance to its community and beyond. We articulate the human condition through movement; our living and moving poetry bridges the cultural divide by provoking social awareness for one’s spirit and evolving communities.

The Devon Parker Collective

Established in July 2021, The Devon Parker Collective’s goal is to curate a team of top creatives that present professional-level live performances in the local community. TDPC is not just a band, but a collective of artists, photographers, videographers, dancers, entrepreneurs and more. Featuring singers like Khristin Stephens, Frank Johnson and Devon Scott, TDPC performs widely, including for live recordings and backing artists.

DJ J.J. Solomon

Born on Malcom X’s birthday, DJ J.J. Solomon has a sense of culture and community that was instilled at birth. Having been in the Upstate for more than a decade, Solomon values the relationships and community he’s cultivated that have helped build his career in the region. “Let’s have fun on Juneteenth 2022, as we celebrate the culture as it exists here in the Upstate of South Carolina,” Solomon says.

Mac Arnold

Mac Arnold got his first taste of the blues at age 10 when he learned to play his brother’s homemade guitar. Arnold has toured and recorded with Muddy Waters, produced Soul Train with friend Don Cornelius, and played bass for Otis Redding and B.B. King. Now a Pelzer, SC-resident, Arnold is serving up a mess of blues with his own band “Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues.”

Tinasha LaRayé

Tinasha LaRayé is a poet, pastor, speaker, actress, and Regional Emmy nominated filmmaker who lives and breathes storytelling . This former Miss Black Oklahoma has an intense passion to tell stories of the African American experience and to bring hope and healing to the wounds of racism in the US. She currently serves on the Launch team of a new church plant in the Greenville area called Studio.