MORNING HEADLINES | Juneteenth celebrations brought communities together across the Lowcountry as people welcomed what is often called Black Independence Day.
Juneteenth historically celebrates the news of the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery, reaching the far corners of the U.S. Often recognized on June 19, the true date is difficult to pinpoint, as news of President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation traveled slowly in 1863 (it was signed months previously on Jan. 1).
The Juneteenth on the Yard celebration at the International African American Museum in Charleston drew a crowd of hundreds to watch a variety of free performances, enjoy complimentary museum entry and celebrate the freedom the holiday commemorates.
A few blocks away, an annual block party has been a longstanding way to honor the end of slavery in the United States. Hundreds gathered along Ann Street between King and Meeting Streets for the celebration with local artisans, vendors, music and food trucks.
Despite the celebrations across the U.S., President Donald Trump made no statement about the federal holiday other than saying there were too many like it.
“Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year,” Trump said in mangled syntax, not mentioning Juneteenth by name nor acknowledging that Thursday was a federal holiday.
According to a New York Times story, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump has no plans to sign a holiday proclamation for Juneteenth. In the past week alone, he’d issued proclamations commemorating Father’s Day, Flag Day and National Flag Week, and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill — none of which are among the 11 annual federal holidays.
In Friday’s issue of the Charleston City Paper:
CP OPINION: Our View: A law not enforced, a fight not needed. “Famed British writer and wit Oscar Wilde once described the notoriously cruel sport of fox hunting — a popular pastime among the not-so-noble noblemen of his era — as ‘the unspeakable chasing the uneatable.'”
- Greene: Charleston gay community fights cultural cleansing
- CP CARTOON: Ariail: YOYO?
- CP CARTOON: Stegelin: A message to you would-be protesters
CP NEWS: Obscure gems: Favorite Charleston attractions aren’t on global site. Atlas Obscura, a national travel and exploration company that produces a daily podcast, books, TV specials and more, offers readers a chance to explore what makes travel destinations so special across the world.
CP NEWS: City Paper’s guide to beating the heat, staying safe in the sun. It’s that time of year again, folks — when the sidewalks are cooking and the beaches are packed to the gills with people looking to catch a wave or soak up the summer sun. This year, we’re highlighting some of our favorite ways to celebrate the summer months and how to do so safely.
CP NEWS: How your yard can become a thriving food forest. A Mount Pleasant couple transformed their grassy backyard into a lush food forest with maturing fruit trees and gardens that yield vegetables and herbs.
CP FOOD: Female-founded Summit Grounds brings Colombian coffee beans to Charleston. Gina Cordoba’s upbringing in Colombia drove her to start Summit Grounds, a sustainable “farm-to-cup” coffee company bringing bright flavors to Charleston inspired by Cordoba’s family roots.
CP ARTS: New Charleston Museum exhibition is fashion-forward. In times weighted by complex social dynamics, style has frequently made a statement. Whether to uplift, provoke or pose questions, fashion finds its way into the conversation.
CP MUSIC: The Vegabonds to debut new album June 20-21 at Windjammer. This weekend at The Windjammer, The Vegabonds, a rocking New South quintet from Nashville, will play a LOT of songs off of its new album, Young & Unafraid.
In other headlines:
North Charleston stair climb event honors 9/11, Lowcountry first responders. Hundreds of participants are set to take part in the fifth annual Charleston Memorial Stair Climb at the North Charleston Coliseum Saturday, and organizers say there’s still time for the public to join the tribute.
James Island development has been in the works for years. Residents are worried about the impacts. Levi Grantham LLC’s planned development at 0 Folly Road — at the corner of Folly Road and Grimball Road Extension across from Spyglass Seaside apartments — has been in progress since 2020.
Berkeley County animal shelter calls for emergency moratorium. Berkeley County Animal Center has called for an emergency moratorium until further notice. Although overcrowding isn’t a new problem they are facing, it’s leaving them with little to no room.
S.C. Aquarium program enables Lowcountry residents to help track sea level rise. Rapidly rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal communities around the world. In the Lowcountry, a growing initiative puts data collection and action in the hands of everyday people.
Fishermen pushing for state control of offshore fisheries in S.C. State fishermen, governors and advocacy groups in three states are working together to wrestle control of fishing regulations from the federal government.
Tariffs, consumer spending playing outsized role in S.C. Ports’ cargo forecast. It’s a simple economic reality: The number of cargo containers moving through the Port of Charleston closely mirrors growth — or declines — in consumer spending.
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