MLK Association’s 2025 Juneteenth Celebration
Come celebrate at any of these special events!
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, in partnership with the City of Asheville, has planned a diverse Juneteenth Celebration 2025 designed to foster broad participation, promote community awareness and appreciation, and celebrate the liberation of enslaved people.
Dating back to 1865, two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, it was on June 19th that Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This began the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.
The City of Asheville designated Juneteenth as a city holiday in 2021, and on June 11, 2024, Mayor Esther Manheimer issued a proclamation acknowledging Juneteenth as a day of celebration for Black Americans. The proclamation was presented to Dr. Oralene Anderson Graves Simmons, president of the MLK Association, by then-Councilwoman Sandra Kilgore.
All events are free and open to the public. The Juneteenth series will feature local leaders speaking on Black history, reflections of life in Black Asheville, and slave records. Everyone is invited to celebrate at “Juneteenth At DownTown After 5” and at the Juneteenth Gala.
Schedule of Events
A Time to Yell – Monday, June 16. Short film followed by a discussion on removing Confederate monuments, 5:30 – 8 p.m. at Stephens Lee Community Center.
Life of Julius Rosenwald – Tuesday, June 17. Screening of the short film, Rosenwald, on the life of Julius Rosenwald and his work with Booker T. Washington to create over 5,000 Rosenwald schools for Black children across the South. Also, a remembrance program of the June 21, 1964, killing in Mississippi of Civil Rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. 5:30 – 8 p.m. at Stephens Lee Community Center.
Dinner & Discussion – Wednesday, June 18. Sasha Mitchell gives insights and tips on tracing your family tree. 5:30 – 8 p.m. at Stephens Lee Community Center.
Juneteenth Celebration Song – Thursday, June 19. Juneteenth celebration through song by Mary D. Williams, noon – 2 p.m. at the Shiloh Friendship Center, 142 Shiloh Road in Asheville.
Gala & Fashion Show – Thursday, June 19. Held from 7 – 9 p.m. at the A-B Tech Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Dr. in Asheville. Reserve your tickets, or purchase a table by going to mlkasheville.org.
Juneteenth at Downtown After 5 – Friday, June 20. Come celebrate Juneteenth with live music, dancing, food, local crafts, and much more. Headlining the event will be Southern Avenue with opening music by DJ Phantom Pantone. Held in Pack Square from 5-9 p.m. Sponsored by the Asheville Downtown Association.
All events are free to the public due to the generous donations and/or sponsorships of the City of Asheville, Mission Health, Deerfield Charitable Foundation, Givens Communities, Dogwood Heath Trust, Biltmore, Advent Health, A-B Tech Community College, Black Wall Street AVL.
For more details, please visit mlkasheville.org.
The MLK Association of Asheville & Buncombe County works year-round to celebrate Dr. King’s Legacy. Through initiatives like the Community Outreach Providing Empowerment (COPE) Initiative, educational workshops, and the recognition of community leaders, the MLK Association continues to foster dialogue, promote diversity, and empower residents of Asheville and Buncombe County. Learn more by visiting mlkasheville.org.
