The North Carolina State Capitol will host a community art collaboration on historic Union Square, Saturday, June 19 in commemoration of Juneteenth. In 2020, the City of Raleigh designated Juneteenth as a city holiday celebrating the official end of slavery in the United States. 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.
From 9 a.m.- noon, visitors are invited to visit the Capitol grounds while chalk artist Kiara Sanders creates line drawings on the sidewalks of the Juneteenth flag and portraits of freedmen and freedwomen whose lives intersected with the State Capitol. The public is encouraged to help color in the portraits and to write the names of other ancestors who lived in bondage to create a colorful visual celebration of the legacy of emancipation and Juneteenth. Historic interpreters from the Capitol will be present to share context and history about the holiday and the early history of Raleigh with visitors. This morning of art and reflection will precede the inaugural Capital City Juneteenth Celebration at Dix Park. There is no charge to attend this event, and all are welcome. The Capitol is located at 1 East Edenton Street, Raleigh.
For more information on the Capital City Juneteenth Celebration visit http://www.juneteenthraleigh.org/.
For more information on Juneteenth, including how the holiday is being marked at sites across the state, visit https://www.ncdcr.gov/juneteenth.
The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history and function of the 1840 building and Union Square. It is within the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and located at One Edenton Street, Raleigh. For additional information please call or visit https://historicsites.nc.gov/.