Juneteenth is 2 days away — Sat., June 19. The holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the US + Raleigh is ready to celebrate.
There are lots of events going on in the city on Saturday, such as the Juneteenth Celebration at the State Capitol 9 a.m-12 p.m. and the Juneteenth Celebration at Dorothea Dix Park 1-5 p.m., but one not to miss is the Juneteenth celebration at the Pope House Museum. The Museum is throwing a 3-day celebration with rare artifacts, special guest speakers + guided tours.
The Pope House Museum, located at 511 S. Wilmington St. (near Shaw University), is the historic home of Dr. Manassa T. Pope and his family. Dr. Pope was the first and only Black man to run for mayor of a southern capital during the Jim Crow Era. The house was built in 1901 + is the only African-American house museum in NC. Read more about the history of the house here.
The multi-day celebration begins tomorrow, Fri., June 18 with children + youth-oriented programming. There will be a Juneteenth children’s craft table, as well as a presentation by the 2021 Piedmont Laureate, Kelly Starling Lyons at 1 p.m.
Saturday’s celebration, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., will include a guided walking tour, a special viewing and presentation of the original 1851 Freedman Papers by Chaitra Powell and the UNC Wilson Library, and a performance entitled “The Foreshadowing of a People: Reflections from the Past” by actor Michael Connor. Sunday’s events will take place 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
The Pope House Museum’s Juneteenth celebrations are unticketed + free to the public. There will be discounted parking at 124 E Cabarrus St.
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