Durham Hosts Third Annual Juneteenth Flag-Raising Ceremony on June 2

A flag-raising ceremony outside the Durham County Courthouse on Dillard Street on June 2 will kick off Juneteenth in Bull City.

Hosted by Spectacular Magazine, the Triangle Cultural Awareness Foundation, and Durham County Government, the ceremony is free and open to the public. The event has grown into a meaningful community tradition that marks the start of North Carolina’s month-long celebration of Black freedom and excellence. The event brings together civic leaders, cultural contributors, and community members to honor the journey from enslavement to emancipation.

This year marks the fourth since Durham County officially recognized Juneteenth as a county holiday. It will be the third year the county has flown the Juneteenth flag at the courthouse – an act symbolizing the start of Durham’s Juneteenth festivities and a prelude to the 20th Annual NC Juneteenth Celebration, set for Saturday, June 21.

The nationally recognized Juneteenth holiday falls on Thursday, June 19. Most Durham County Government offices will be closed in observance.

During the June 2 ceremony, which starts at 11:30 a.m., the Montford Point Marines will raise the Juneteenth flag alongside the Durham County Sheriff’s Honor Guard. The Marines provide a symbol connecting the holiday to the broader history of Black military service and civil rights. More than 20,000 African-American Marines trained between 1942 and 1949 at the segregated Montford Point Camp in Jacksonville, N.C., paving the way for integration within the armed forces.

Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead, County Manager Claudia Hager, and Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams will deliver welcoming remarks. Rod Carter, anchor at CBS 17, will serve as master of ceremonies.

Attorney Larry Hall, former secretary of the N.C. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, will lead “The Juneteenth Story” segment of the program. That portion includes the public reading of the three historic Freedom Documents – the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment, and General Order No. 3 – by Durham City Manager Bo Ferguson, Durham County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs, and Sheriff Birkhead.

The ceremony also will feature a musical performance by Dr. Charity Godfrey Davis.

Closing remarks will be delivered by Phyllis Coley, North Carolina Juneteenth State Director for the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF), the organization that led the effort behind federal recognition of Juneteenth. The NJOF continues to advocate for education and awareness surrounding Juneteenth National Independence Day.

The official Juneteenth flag will fly at the courthouse through June 19, leading up to community celebrations in Durham and across the country.

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