The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation will be offering free admission on Wednesday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. For information go to colonialwilliamsburg.org/juneteenth
Special highlights include:
Albert Durant Photography at Bruton Heights | 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Join community members and the staff of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library at the Lane Auditorium to see a short vodcast that introduces Albert Durant, Williamsburg’s first Black city-licensed photographer, and the Albert Durant Photography Collection. Located at 301 First Street.
Darryl Reeves: Master Blacksmith | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Join us on Juneteenth at the Public Armory for talks and demonstrations by Master Blacksmith Darryl Reeves, a third-generation metal worker and owner of Andrew’s Welding & Blacksmith Shop in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward. Located at the Public Armory.
Walking Tour: Bray School Community | 10:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.
This one-hour walking tour will take you to several key sites connected to Virginia’s first official school for African Americans while also examining the ongoing legacy of the Bray School in today’s world. Starting at the Taliaferro-Cole Stable, Nassau Street.
Visit with a Nation Builder: Gowan Pamphlet | 11 a.m.
Step into the past with Gowan Pamphlet, the revolutionary Black Baptist preacher. Through stories and questions, explore the hopes, choices, and challenges he faced. Located at the Governor’s Palace Stage.
Answer the Call Drum Circle | 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Much of African Music is based on call and response. The drum is the first to announce itself and send a message bringing the community together.
As the drum calls, the community is expected to respond by playing back to the drummer or hollering out by voice. How will you answer the call? Located at the St. George Tucker House.
Permission to Be Free with Shelia Arnold | 1 - 2 p.m.
Join Sheila Arnold on an extraordinary storytelling journey as she invites you to embrace the power of hope, resilience, and the unyielding desire for freedom. Give yourself permission to be moved, inspired, and ultimately, free. Located at the Hennage Auditorium.
God is My Rock | 3 - 3:35 p.m.
Gowan Pamphlet, an enslaved man and popular local preacher, offers his perspective on slavery, religion, and freedom. With the context of the Great Awakening, this story tells the life of Pastor Gowan Pamphlet and Old Paris, a first-generation Ibo African. Located at the Hennage Auditorium.
