Black History Collective's Juneteenth event is set for June 11
Black History Collective of Henderson County founder Crystal Cauley announced that the group will hold a Juneteenth event, called Juneteenth Freedom Fest, from 2-5 p.m. June 11 at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site in Flat Rock.
Admission is free and shuttles will be available to take guests who may have mobility issues to the amphitheater. There will be accessible portable restrooms and also vendors on site, Cauley said.
"We have coming from Rockford Illinois, author and spoken word poet, Christopher D. Sims. Christopher will perform a poem with me titled “Black Love” and he will have other solo pieces," Cauley said in a news release. "In the lineup we have authors Tony Robles, Phyllis Utley, Alyeh Cady, Jewel Ward, Indian Jackson, Etta Robinson, Robert Zachary, YaShara Lynch, Kia Rice ( Virtuous ) Carolina Diva Diamondz and more performing artists."
This is Cauley's third and largest Juneteenth event she's organized, she said, with her first event being at the Hola Cultural Center in 2021 along with having the first Juneteenth Day Proclamation requested in 2021 by Mayor Barbara Volk.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday that began in 2021 and is celebrated on June 19 each year, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
"This year as we celebrate 158 years of freedom since June 19, 1865, we focus on unity and peace. The program that I have is educational and focuses on my love for the arts," she said. "Our main artist this year is Chloe Cauley, age 13."
More information about the Black History Collective of Henderson County can be found on its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BHofHC/ or by sending an email to bbnofwnc@gmail.com.
Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at DHensley@gannett.com. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Black History Collective's Juneteenth event is set for June 11
