‘Everybody should be celebrating Juneteenth’: How three women realized a Cumberland County commemoration for all

For Cerina Johnson, Ayana Washington and Kia Anthony, next week will be the culmination of years’ worth of dedication, dreams and drive.

Starting on Juneteenth (June 19), the three women will help Cumberland County residents celebrate by bringing events focused on Black America’s past, present and future to the area. The three days of events, titled “The Juneteenth Celebration!,” are hosted by Johnson’s nonprofit, No Longer Bound Entertainment, and Washington’s nonprofit, Book Black Women, and funded by Anthony’s nonprofit, Circa 1865. 

According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom by Union General Gordon Granger. Though President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it wasn’t until Granger’s journey to Texas that the Union Army enforced the proclamation, the museum’s website states. 

The event schedule includes: 

• 7:30 p.m. June 19 — Washington’s original play “400 Years: The Evolution of Black America” at Seabrook Auditorium. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $35 for VIP admission, which includes a pre-show, a parking spot and light refreshments. Students should contact Washington to obtain $5 tickets.
• 4 – 9 p.m. June 22 – The Freedom Block Party on Maxwell Street. Admission is free, though for $35, attendees can purchase VIP tickets that include access to an indoor VIP lounge, a private bar, restrooms and a photo section.
• 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. June 23 — The Heritage Brunch at Carvers Creek State Park, 2505 Long Valley Road, Spring Lake. Tickets are $45, and attendees are asked to dress in white and denim. Sen. Val Applewhite (D-Dist. 19) is the keynote speaker and Chef J’Kwan Fulmore of Er’Body Eatz will provide brunch.

‘Juneteenth isn’t just a celebration’

Anthony may be better known for serving as mayor of Spring Lake since December 2021, but years before taking office, she was dedicated to expanding Juneteenth celebrations across the county. She told CityView that in her home state of Michigan, many people observed Juneteenth, so she was surprised when she struggled to find events to attend in Cumberland County.

“I have to make sure I pay homage to Nero Coleman, aka ‘Crazy Horse,’ for being the godfather of Juneteenth in this area,” Anthony said. “For 17 years, he had been doing a small Juneteenth event at Seabrook Park every year. A lot of it was centered around a ‘Get out the vote’ type of initiative, but he was Mr. Juneteenth for this area.” 

After hearing she should speak to Coleman, Anthony said she sat down with him for a chat. 

“This was what really fueled me to go as big as I can,” she recalled. “He said, ‘I didn’t know how much longer I was going to continue to do this. I was looking for somebody to pass the mantle to.’” 

Coleman encouraged Anthony to “take it even further,” she said, jumpstarting her plans for a local Juneteenth celebration. That culminated with a gathering in General Lee Park in 2018 of roughly 150 people, according to Anthony, who had to watch the event from her car because she had been quarantined with measles earlier that day.

“Until about 11 at night, they had drum circles, and we had some vendors out, and they did yoga classes,” she said. “The neighbors came out. They brought food and they joined in, and they turned what was supposed to be two or three hours at the park into an all-day celebration.” 

The following year, Anthony established Circa 1865, a nonprofit meant to promote and celebrate African American culture and encourage cultural unity and respect. She also planned a three-part Juneteenth event — a brunch, parade and nine-hour music festival with fireworks, she said. 

“We went from one day to having a four-day festival all over the county,” Anthony said. “We are simultaneously in Spring Lake, Fort Liberty, Fayetteville and Hope Mills.” 

What was important to her was recognizing all the many facets of Juneteenth, she said — not only its jubilatory nature around emancipation, but also the need for education around Black Americans’ struggles and forms of modern-day slavery, like human trafficking and child slavery in cocoa production.

“Juneteenth isn’t just a celebration,” she said. “It’s about awareness that looks at how far we’ve come, but look at how much further we have to go.” 

A crucial collaboration

But after Anthony took office, she quickly realized she couldn’t juggle the demands of planning an annual Juneteenth celebration with her mayoral responsibilities, especially during budget season. After working with the Cool Spring Downtown District in 2022 and independently hosting the Juneteenth Freedom Festival last year, Anthony knew she needed help.

Meanwhile, Washington and Johnson had been working on Juneteenth events of their own, putting on the sold-out first production of “400 Years: The Evolution of Black America” at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre last year. The duo approached Cool Spring about a 2024 event, but talks fell through, Johnson said. 

“They said what they had to say, like, ‘Oh, well, we didn’t get [our] budget last year until March, so whatever,’” she said. “So we’re like, ‘You know what? We’re just gonna go with our own thing.’” 

That prompted Johnson to message Anthony on Facebook, birthing a powerful partnership between the three women.

“I believe [Circa 1865] laid a strong foundation for other organizations like Book Black Women and No Longer Bound to come in and pick up that mantle and take off running with it,” Anthony said. “I was absolutely floored by what they did the year prior. It was put on so eloquently, so perfectly, that I was honored that they chose me to come and continue this movement with.” 

From there, the women delved into what Anthony described as the “chaos” of organizing the 2024 events. 

“The city has lots and lots of red tape, so it was interesting trying to figure out the best way to navigate that red tape without making enemies,” Washington said. 

The trio attempted to host the block party on Person Street, but their request was denied, so they had to settle for Maxwell Street, Johnson said. 

“We still feel there will be a strong presence there at Maxwell Street,” she said.

With the Cape Fear Regional Theatre preparing for renovations, Fayetteville State’s Seabrook Auditorium felt like a natural alternative, Johnson said.

But the choice of Carvers Creek State Park for the brunch location was perhaps the most impactful, according to Anthony. The former home of “Ardnave,” a turpentine plantation, the park represented a powerful selection for a time to reflect on Black Americans’ futures, she said. 

“Understanding the connection to slavery right here in Spring Lake, right here where we had slaves toiling thousands of acres of land, I thought it’s befitting to bring it back full circle to celebrate how far we’ve come, right back where blood was actually shed by our ancestors,” Anthony said. “I know this brunch is going to be a very spiritual experience to be able to stand in victory where people were once victimized.” 

‘A labor of love’

Though planning this year’s events was hard work, the trio behind it all said they couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

“Our Juneteenth show is filled with local artists and actors from this area,” Johnson said. “It’s a labor of love, for sure. And then for our block party, we have a lot of local talent — a local band that will be showcased there, a local DJ.” 

For Anthony, watching Washington and Johnson work has been “the greatest gift,” she said. 

“They’ve elevated this to a different realm,” Anthony said. “I am so proud and so humbled to be able to work with these two geniuses right here.”

The play’s audience this year will include 150 FSU students and 100 Hoke County High School students, all attending free of charge, according to Washington and Johnson. 

“They don’t get a lot of opportunities for arts in Hoke County, so why not offer them a free opportunity to come with their families?” Johnson said.

Above all, the women said, they want people to know their Juneteenth celebration is open to all. 

“It is not a Black holiday,” Anthony said. “This is an American, all-inclusive holiday because it’s the first time in American history that all people were considered humans, Americans, residents [and] took ownership of this country.” 

“So it’s not just for Black people,” she continued. “Everybody should be celebrating Juneteenth.” 

Reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at lsolomon@cityviewnc.com or 910-423-6500.

This story was made possible by contributions to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy.