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The”Juneteenth Freedom Festival: A Celebration of Culture, Resilience, and Survival” will officially kick off on the evening of Thursday, June 19, at the Ware Creek Rosenwald School/Community Center in Blount Creek, the site of the first formally organized celebration of Juneteenth in the area in the 1980s. It will be a time for meaningful reflection, fellowship, and delicious food.

“We decided to kick off the Juneteenth festivities this year on the actual date, so as to not interfere with the celebrations happening over the weekend in Washington,” said Phyllis Moore-Johnson, president of the Ware Creek Rosenwald School Community Center. “We want to promote unity, inclusion, show our support for the community, honor our history, heritage, and celebrate culture and resilience. The dinner is also a fellowship to inspire conversation about equality and the ongoing social justice efforts.”

Added Anthony Tyre, mayor pro-tem of Washington, “What better way to start off our Juneteenth celebration than the place it all started in Beaufort County. For the city to continue to collaborate and connect with the community is a good thing. The event in Blounts Creek and the Freedom Festival over the weekend in Washington represent what Juneteenth is all about. They offer a time and space for people to remember where we have been in order to take the next step.”

The free buffet dinner will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is open to the public. Two former attendees of the Rosenwald School will also offer their reflections.