Raleigh Juneteenth festivals celebrate Black pride: 'Makes my ancestors proud'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- With DJ Baptiste on the 1's and 2's and vendors serving delicious food, you could tell it was nothing but good vibrations at Moore Square for the Juneteenth celebration.

The event was in full swing on Thursday as hundreds of people came out to mark the day.

Juneteenth recognizes the 19th of June as the day 160 years ago that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed; two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

"We talk about the American Dream. That's what that is. Just being able to be and dream. To explore, create, and have the freedom and ability to do that," said Olivia Hoskins Woodard.

Woodard brought her 2-year-old son Messiah, as he wore his shirt she intentionally dressed him in.

"His shirt says 'making my ancestors proud with every dream,'" she said.

Dozens of vendors lined the sidewalks in Moore Square, including Paul Bailey, who runs BlackGoldWorks.

"We also have solutions for your skin and hyperpigmentation," he said. "These are some of our best-selling turmeric soaps. This is lemon grass and rosemary mint."

ALSO SEE Juneteenth 2025: Here's a list of events happening across central NC

Brandy Smoot sells luxury lashes and custom press-on nails.

"My Blink On Em Lashes. That's my brand," she said.

ABC11 also met Chris Williams, a vendor with a brand that aims to uplift Black women. He showed off his favorite shirt in his collection.

"It says always walk in confidence. You see, the hair is textured. I thought that was really important for me to capture. It was considered nappy hair. Now, everyone is embracing it," said Williams.

This Juneteenth is special for many families attending this celebration. Margaret Kellner started her day explaining the holiday's significance to her sons.

"The basics of slavery, along with the Civil War and its ending, but then not everyone knew they were free. Juneteenth being the day where everyone knew they were free and making sure they're aware of that even at their young ages," said Kellner.

It's a holiday Michael Boyd wanted his 4-year-old son Emmett to witness, too.

"The demons of slavery still riddle us. We still see the backlash of that and the evidence of that, but that's not where we're going," he said.