On June 19, 1865, U.S. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to tell the people of Texas that all slaves were free, according to the website History.com.
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” Granger said, reading from General Orders Number 3.
This news came two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, which announced the freedom of the enslaved population in Confederate states.
Being on the outskirts of the Confederacy and having a lack of Union soldiers allowed slavery to continue in Texas until Granger arrived with his troops to enforce the law.
What to know:Juneteenth and 2021 celebrations: What to know about the holiday
Newly freed Black people held a celebration in response to their freedom, and that celebration continues every year as Juneteenth.
Today, 48 states and Washington, D.C., recognize Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday, according to an article in USA Today.
On Saturday, several events will mark the day in Greenville, Spartanburg, Clemson, Seneca and Anderson.
Juneteenth at Carolina Wren Park
In Anderson, the Anderson Area Remembrance and Reconciliation Initiative will be hosting a Juneteenth event at Carolina Wren Park at 6 p.m. Saturday.
The event will feature Interpretive dancers, poetry and dramatic readings, as well as food from the Lettuce Shop food truck. Loretta Holloway, “South Carolina’s First Lady of Song,” will be singing the Billie Holiday song “Strange Fruit” first performed in 1939. The song was originally a poem called “Bitter Fruit” written by a Jewish school teacher, Abel Meeropol.
More:Juneteenth is more popular than ever. This year’s celebrations come amid a culture war.
“That song is a song about the lynchings that were taking place at about the time or just before the time she sang that song,” said Stuart Sprague, a member of the steering committee for the Anderson initiative. “And so she sang that song to remember the victims who had experienced those beatings and lynchings in that period of time in American history.”
The group will also discuss upcoming projects planned to honor the five lynching victims who were killed in Anderson between 1894 and 1911. The Anderson group is working with the Equal Justice Initiative to put memorials and historical markers around Anderson to honor and remember the victims. The event is free and open to the public.
Celebrating Juneteenth is important for many reasons, Sprague said.
“I think it’s a sign of the alignment of the racial groups within the community,” Sprague said. “It’s a sign that we reject the idea of slavery and the imprisonment and the other kinds of harsh treatment that some folks experienced and to celebrate that part of that is over, but we know there is more work to be done to overcome the trauma that was inflicted on the Black population for so many years.”
A list of Juneteenth events in the Upstate
Greenville
2nd Annual Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration
Who: Fighting Injustice Together (FIT)
Where: Peace Center TD Stage, 301 S. Main St., Greenville.
When: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: Food, music, entertainment
Details: Free. 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Black Excellence
Sustaining Way’s Juneteenth CommUNITY Celebration
Where: Phillis Wheatley Community Center, 40 John McCarroll Way, Greenville
When: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: Food, drinks, vendors, kids activities, dancing and a Father’s Day recognition.
Details: Free. Juneteenth CommUnity Celebration
Wits End Juneteenth Poetry event
Where: Coffee Underground, 1 E. Coffee St., Greenville
When: 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, June 20
Events: Hosted by poet, comedian, artist, and photographer Moody Black. The night will feature open mic slots, poetry games and other activities. Open mic is available on a first-come, first-serve basis and all poetry styles are welcome.
Details: This event will be socially distanced and masks are required. Only 35 tickets are available at $10 each. For more information on the event and where to purchase tickets, visit Wits End Juneteenth Poetry
Soil Collection Ceremony to honor Tom Keith, a victim of racial lynching
Who: Community Remembrance Project of Greenville County (CRP)
Where: Mt. Sinai Baptist Church. 1101 Roe Ford Road, Greenville.
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 19
Activities: “We will honor Tom Keith with poetry, song, and a eulogy to be delivered by Dr. Toney Parks, pastor of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church. Local actor Jeremiah Dew will appear as Tom Keith to tell his story. The ceremonial soil, collected from a location near the site of Keith’s murder, will be placed in jars that will eventually reside at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama—as well as a location in Greenville County (still to be determined).”
Details: Free. Register here on Eventbrite.
Spartanburg
Juneteenth Heritage Festival
Where: Conway Park, 103 Pendleton Drive, Spartanburg
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: Live DJ, food and food competitions, vendors, games and face painting,
Details: Free. For more information, visit the Spartanburg Juneteenth Inc. Facebook page.
Juneteenth Community Cleanup
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Where: New Day Baptist Church, 2090 S. Church St. Ext.
Info: Open to neighborhood organizations, church groups, fraternities and sororities, etc. To register, email Monier Abusaft at mo@moabusaft.com
For more information go to Juneteenth Community Cleanup
Woven
When: 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Chapman Cultural Center, 200 E. St John St.
Info: The event is presented by the Artists Guild of Spartanburg. Activities include dance and Capoeira demonstrations, storytellers, vendors and the historic Freedom Flag exhibit.
For more information, go to Woven
Anderson
Juneteenth at Carolina Wren Park
Who: The Anderson Area Remembrance and Reconciliation Initiative
Where: Carolina Wren Park in downtown Anderson
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: A performance by “South Carolina’s First Lady of Song” Loretta Holloway, interpretive dance, poetry, dramatic readings and the Lettuce Shop food truck. The group will also “share information about their effort to foster dialogue, promote education and encourage conversations around the five racial lynching victims in Anderson County (1894 – 1911) with a goal of promoting harmony.
Admission: Free
A Celebration of Freedom
Where: Lyndon’s Academy of the Arts, 1925 S. McDuffie St. in Anderson
When: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: Bouncy house, snow cones, popcorn machine, cotton candy, vendors and a car show. Special guest Miss Black USA, Maya Rose Phillips, will be at the celebration.
Details: $5 bracelet to play all day. All proceeds go to Madd Talent, a summer enrichment program. To register for the car show, contact Anthony Reed at 864-356-1416. For more information, visit Lyndon’s Academy of the Arts Facebook page.
Juneteenth Festival
Who: Deran Dawson, Maurice Nance, Jessica Lomax, and more
Where: Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6089, 2009 Scarborough Road, Anderson.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: Food, vendors and drinks. Anderson County Democratic Chairwoman Tonya Winbush will be giving a lesson about the history of Juneteenth.
Details: Free
Clemson
JuneTeenth, Celebrating African-American freedom, families and heritage
Where: Littlejohn Community Center, 644 Old Greenville Highway in Clemson
When: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: Free food, community parade, vendors, kids zone, live entertainment from The Company Band featuring Thomas McCord, DJ “Bad Boy” Madyx and 107.3 JAMZ!
Details: https://www.caaam.org/post/juneteenth-celebration
Seneca
Juneteenth Celebration
Who: Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum and the City of Seneca
Where: Norton Thompson Park in downtown Seneca
When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 19
Events: Best sweet iced tea and sweet potato pie contests. Youth competitions in chalk art, rap battles, 3-on-3 basketball and more. Face painters, balloon artists, an art gallery and food and craft vendors. Fashion shows from Her Love Clothing by designers Tamika Watson and Sonya Haggan. Entertainment from the Jamie Wright Band, spoken word artists Dove Dupre and Moody Black and performances from local church choirs and singers. Brittney Brackett of Greenville will be this year’s festival emcee.
Details: The festival is free and open to the public. COVID-19 protocol will be observed. Wristbands will be available at the registration booth for anyone who wants to participate in the events offered during the festival. For more information go to Juneteenth Celebration
Justine Lookenott covers breaking news for the Independent Mail. Reach out to her at jlookenott@gannett.com, on Twitter at @justalookenott or through Facebook.
