Juneteenth celebrations come to a close in New Hanover County

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Juneteenth celebrations are coming to a close, after a weekend full of in-person events for the first time in two years, due to the pandemic.

Last year, President Biden signed a bill into law declaring Juneteenth a national holiday. Dozens of events were held in Wilmington and across southeastern North Carolina.

There have been festivals, pageants, and even a golf tournament to commemorate the anniversary of June 19, 1865. When the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free.
North Carolina NAACP President Deborah Dicks Maxwell says residents were thankful for the increased number of events held for Juneteenth in comparison to previous years.

“I think that New Hanover can take away that there will be a comprehensive, I hope, Juneteenth Committee, just like they have the one before, so that while there will be multiple events, one will not overlap or detract from the other. The same way the MLK Commission puts out everyone else’s events in the community,” said Deborah Dicks Maxwell, NC NAACP president.

Deborah Dicks Maxwell also says she is hoping the state of North Carolina will officially recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, and hopes to see a committee developed to make that a reality.