The 2023 Juneteenth Festival will take place from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at various locations around Clemson’s main campus.
Courtesy photo
PICKENS COUNTY — A consortium of community partners is proud to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday on Monday, June 19.
The 2023 Juneteenth Festival will take place from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at various locations around Clemson’s main campus. Co-sponsors include: the cities of Clemson and Seneca, the Call My Name Coalition/Black Heritage Trail, Woodland Cemetery African American Burial Ground Project and Clemson University Libraries.
“To me, what is exciting is coming together for this collaboration and at this magnitude,” said Angela Agard, Director of the Clemson Area African American Museum. “We’re combining creativity, resources, and manpower to educate others about Juneteenth and freedom.”
The 2023 Juneteenth Festival will feature the following events (locations are noted below):
Spoken word and music performances (Outdoor Amphitheater)
Local Black history exhibit (Cooper Library)
Virtual Woodland Cemetery Tour (Cooper Library starting at 11:30 a.m. for one-hour virtual tour)
Call My Name Walking Tour (Meet at Old Main/Tillman Hall at 1 p.m. for one-hour walk)
Author presentations and book signings (North Green)
Food trucks and vendors (Adjacent to Carillon Garden along Calhoun Street)
Non-profit organization and vendor tables (Cooper Library Patio)
Storytelling and face painting for children (Carillon Gardens)
“Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in America,” said Rhondda Robinson Thomas, the Calhoun Lemon Professor of Literature and Faculty Director of Call My Name. “It is important to remember that there were enslaved people at the Fort Hill Plantation, the ground on which Clemson University sits. This festival with our community partners gives us an opportunity to honor and celebrate the 139 individuals who were forced to labor on this land and gained their freedom after the Civil War ended.”
“As part of the Libraries’ mission, we preserve and discuss history and want to do so while also improving Town Gown relations,” said Dean of Libraries Christopher Cox. “We want to share what we know and invite the community onto campus to participate.”
In addition to Clemson’s Juneteenth Festival, each city will host Juneteenth celebrations beginning June 13 leading up to Juneteenth. For more, visit the Call My Name Juneteenth page.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (a blending of “June” and “Nineteenth”) commemorates June 19, 1865— two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation—when Union Major General Gordon Granger visited Galveston, Texas to issue General Order No. 3 advising that enslaved African Americans in Texas were free. Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Black Independence Day, spread throughout America and may be the longest-running African American holiday. Juneteenth became a federal holiday with the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021.
Festival Schedule – Monday, June 19, 2023
Free public parking will be available in Lot R-9 behind Douthit Hills (entrance is at the corner of Newman Road and Walter T. Cox Boulevard). A free shuttle bus will run on a loop from the parking lot to the drop off and pick up stop in front of the College of Business from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Storytelling and Face Painting for Children
Location: Carillon Garden
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Spoken Word and Music Performances (Outdoor Amphitheater)
Location: Outdoor Amphitheater
11 a.m.: DJ Cook
11:30 a.m.: Seitu Solomon – steelpan that creates a tropical sound fusing Reggae, Calypso, Afrobeat, Jazz and Pop
12:15 p.m.: DJ Cook
12:30 p.m.: Nick Rich – rap artist
1 p.m.: DJ Cook
1:30 p.m.: Dove Dupree – spoken word poetry and music
2:15 p.m.: DJ Cook
2:30 p.m.: Jasmine Myers – inspirational
2:45 p.m.: DJ Cook
Non-profit Organizations and Vendor Tables
A variety of non-profit organizations sharing information and vendors selling various products will be a part of the Juneteenth Festival.
Location: Cooper Library Patio
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Local Black History Exhibit
This exhibit will celebrate the contributions and history of Black people in the City of Clemson, City of Seneca, and Clemson University.
Location: Cooper Library
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Food Trucks and Vendors
Featured foods will include vegan, dessert, and barbecue options.
Location: Adjacent to Carillon Gardens along Calhoun Street
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Author Presentation and Book Signing Schedule
Location: North Green
11 – 11:30 a.m.: Sonia Leverette/Brittney Brackett
11:30 – 11:50 a.m.: Moody Black
12 – 12:20 p.m.: Carl Sharperson
12:30 – 12:50 p.m.: Glenis Redmond
1 – 1:20: p.m. Rhondda Thomas
1:30 – 1:50 p.m.: Marlanda Dekine
2 – 2:20 p.m.: Len Lawson
2:30 – 2:50 p.m.: Jennifer Bartell Boykin
Tours
Virtual Tour of Woodland Cemetery and African American Burial Ground
Location: Cooper Library History Room (left-hand side of fourth floor–the floor you enter on)
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Call My Name Campus Walking Tour
Learn about sites associated with Black history on the Clemson University campus.
Location: Meet at Old Main (Tillman Hall)
Time: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.