A sneak peak at what to expect at this year’s Juneteenth Celebration
For nearly the past two decades Triad Cultural Arts Inc. has been inviting the community to come together and celebrate freedom during the Juneteenth Celebration held annually in downtown Winston-Salem. This year’s celebration, which will be headlined by the Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, will have something for everyone to enjoy. Here’s a quick look at what’s in store for attendees:
The celebration will begin with the second annual Queen Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant on Friday, June 16, at Atkins High School at 7 p.m. In addition to highlighting the skills, academics, and accomplishments of the young women, the pageant also seeks to uplift and honor their cultural heritage and boost their cultural appreciation.
Leading up to the pageant, contestants were required to participate in workshops managed by members of the “Queen’s Council,” a collection of more that a dozen women from throughout the community who have volunteered to serve as mentors for the contestants.
The pageant is open to rising juniors in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School (WS/FCS) system, who have a 2.5 GPA or higher and plan to attend a HBCU.
The winner, who will be announced on Friday, will receive a four-year tuition scholarship. During her senior high school year, the Queen will lead her Court in a project to leave the community a better place than they found it.
This year’s contestants are: Samya Aikens, Rhoda Asare, Aniyah Brown, Mikayla Drake, Zi’Nya English, Allysiah Fair, Kailani Goggans, Danasia Haney, Jerrica Hooper, Brooke Johnson, Nadia Johnson, Bethany Mack, Raven McCluney Jayla Page-Thomas, Jashonay Peay, Desiree’ Shields, Zarah Simpson, Ivy Taylor, Jadyn Uzzell, and, Tai Wade.
The main event, the Juneteenth Festival, will be held on Saturday, June 17 in the Innovation Quarter. Inside the Biotech Place from 1 to 5 p.m., there will be live gospel music, dozens of vendors, community displays and more. There will also be a special tribute to Joycelyn Johnson, who served as representative for the East Ward on the Winston-Salem City Council. Johnson, who served four terms from 1993 to 2009, died last year.
Outside in Bailey Park from 1 to 8 p.m., there will be food trucks, live R&B and jazz music, dance performances, youth performances, face painting and crafts. There will also be two special exhibits at this year’s Juneteenth Festival: The Shotgun House Legacy Site and Rooted in Race.
Shotgun House Legacy Site will take a closer look at the importance of shotgun houses. Triad Cultural Arts plans to revitalize two shotgun houses. Following the Civil War and through the 1920s, shotgun houses became a symbol of Black American freedom. Since 2017 Triad Cultural Arts has been trying to preserve two shotgun houses that are still intact in the 700 block of Humphreys Street.
Rooted in Race: A Community’s Journey to School Integration, will explore the history of local school desegregation. The exhibit includes images and newspaper articles from the era to explore how the landmark decision of Brown vs. Board of Education impacted Black communities in Winston-Salem and highlights other historic legislation, community advocates, and changes in local schools.
Juneteenth Celebration offers a full day of family-friendly fun, activities, music, food, history, education and more.
For a complete schedule and more information about the 2023 Juneteenth Celebration visit triadculturalarts.org or call 336-757-8556.
