Juneteenth
2026 Juneteenth Homepage
North Carolina joins in the celebration of Juneteenth, a national holiday that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederacy. We invite you to use the resources below that have been curated to encourage awareness and enthusiasm for the Juneteenth holiday.
North Carolina's Liberation Sites and Stories
This year, the NCAAHC's Juneteenth toolkit features two North Carolina historic sites, Tryon Palace and Vance Birthplace, that give us a lens into the lives and actions of enslaved people during and after emancipation.
Juneteenth Quick Facts
On January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation provided a pathway to freedom for enslaved African Americans in communities like Beaufort, Elizabeth City, Plymouth, and New Bern.
Other enslaved North Carolinians claimed their freedom in April 1865, and the months thereafter, after Confederate troops surrendered in Durham. U.S. Colored Troops witnessed this surrender.
African Americans created new lives in freedmen's communities like Hotel de Afrique and Roanoke Island Freedman's Colony on the Outer Banks, James City in New Bern.
6,000 African American men from North Carolina served in the Civil War as U.S. Colored Troops; they fought for liberation and played a major role in emancipating African Americans in the South.
Emancipation celebrations in North Carolina began occurring as early as January 1, 1864. Therefore, African Americans in North Carolina have a tradition of celebrating freedom even before Juneteenth.
Some of our state's earliest Juneteenth festivals were established in Rocky Mount, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro. Stagville State Historic Site also has a long tradition of honoring and celebrating Emancipation.
In North Carolina, we can use Juneteenth to explore how liberation and emancipation played out in our local communities; and to honor the rich communities and institutions that were created as a result - like Shaw University (Raleigh), Princeville, and St. Peter. A.M.E. Zion Church.
