Staff report

SALISBURY — The Salisbury-Rowan chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People will host the 23rd Juneteenth celebration in downtown Salisbury on June 16.

The celebration will kick off with a parade at 10 a.m.

The parade lineup will begin at the J.C. Price American Legion parking lot at 1433 Old Wilkesboro Road and finish at the celebration site, 200 W. Fisher St. at South Church Street.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of enslaved black people in the United States.

The annual observance celebrates the date Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation by freeing of all remaining slaves in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865.

Texas was the last state in rebellion that allowed slavery after the end of the Civil War.

Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual emancipation was not announced in Texas until Gen. Gordon Granger came to Galveston and issued General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865 — almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Salisbury Juneteenth celebration will continue its legacy with this year’s theme of Sankofa, which means, “Remember the past for therein lies the future.”

The goal of the celebration is to provide a fun-filled day for the community; increase awareness of the historical significance of Juneteenth; and showcase talent, merchandise and food vendors.

There will also be a children’s area.

“We strongly feel that it is not taboo to fetch what is at risk of being left behind,” said Yolanda Woods, chairman of the celebration committee. “We must come back together and remember the journey of our ancestors as we celebrate the day that is meant for us.”

There is a $50 nonrefundable fee for all vendors.

All food vendors must have clearance from the Rowan County Department of Health — located at 402 N. Main St., Suite 106 — 15 days before the celebration.

The NAACP is still accepting vendor, performance, parade and volunteer applications.

For more information, call Yolanda Woods at 704-636-8461 or Linda Black at 980-234-6639 or email srjuneteenth@gmail.com.