WS Chronicle

The St. Philips Heritage Center at Old Salem Museums & Gardens in partnership with Winston-Salem State University will host a luncheon from noon to 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 15, in the James A. Gray Jr. Auditorium at the Old Salem Visitor Center at 900 Old Salem Road.

The event is in celebration of Juneteenth, the country’s longest-running observance of the abolition of slavery.

This year’s Juneteenth Luncheon will commemorate the 195th anniversary of St. Philips Moravian Church and the 125th anniversary of Winston-Salem State University. Church and community members will reflect on the shared history among these two organizations in a conversation titled: “Salem and Slater: A Shared History, A Conversation of Memory,” moderated by Dr. Michele Gillespie, dean of the College, Wake Forest University.

The Luncheon costs $25 for adults and $20 for students and Friends of Salem. Reservations must be made in advance by calling 1-800-441-5305.

The 2017 St. Philips Cedric S. Rodney Unity Award will be presented to Michelle McCullough, project planner for the City of Winston-Salem, and Dr. English Bradshaw, author and educator. Former Forsyth County Commissioner, Walter Marshall, will be honored posthumously.

The award was established in honor of the late Rev. Dr. Cedric S. Rodney, a Moravian minister who led the restoration efforts of the Historic St. Philips Moravian Church in Old Salem. The candidates are proven community bridge builders and work successfully to move people toward a common goal for the benefit of our society.

Luncheon participants may also tour the St. Philips African Moravian Church, the oldest standing African-American Church in North Carolina, where the ending of slavery was announced on Sunday, May 21, 1865.

Juneteenth Festival

The luncheon precedes the 13th annual Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 17, from noon to 7 p.m. at Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, using Biotech Place and Bailey Park, located at 575 N. Patterson Avenue. 

Enjoy the rich, cultural traditions of African-Americans. Inside exhibits and performances at Biotech Place end at 4 pm. Outside exhibits and performances at Bailey Park will end at 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public, with free parking in the 4th-Church Street Parking deck.

The Juneteenth Festival, a national celebration of freedom, is set in the once thriving and bustling African-American business community. 

Everyone is encouraged to bring lawn chairs and umbrellas and a donation for Winston-Salem’s future Black History Museum. 

A schedule of activities is posted on the website. For more information, visit www.triadculture.org, or call 336-757-8556.

The festival will include:

*Music and dance performances, including jazz, gospel, blues, reggae and African dance.

*Health fair with exercise demos, the WSSU Mobile Health Unit, and an open session on stress reduction and other mental-emotional issues that can impact our families and our communities.

*Food Lion Farm Fresh Stand with tastings of fresh fruits and vegetables.

*Wells Fargo will sponsor “The Point,” a mobile financial stability unit with an array of services for financial coaching education, information and counseling!  A free on-site credit health check will be available.

*Interactive heritage displays, exhibitors, artists and craftsmen, book signings, and community agencies with educational information about a wide range of available resources to enhance and improve quality of life.

*Food Trucks and Marketplace vendors with ethnic merchandise and jewelry.

*Youth Talk Back Forum with Donovan Livingston award-winning educator, spoken word poet, and public speaker.

*Interactive Youth area with face painting, dance workshops, crafts and music.