BOTETOURT CO., Va. – The Juneteenth Freedom Jubilee, a two-day celebration honoring Black American history, heritage and resilience, began in Botetourt on Friday.
This year’s celebration builds on the success of previous events by expanding to a larger venue and offering a full weekend of educational and cultural programming for all ages.
The highlight of the weekend is a special appearance by Joseph McGill, Founder and Executive Director of the Slave Dwelling Project, who returns to Botetourt County for the first time in a decade. McGill, a nationally recognized historian and preservationist, has spent more than a decade raising awareness about the importance of preserving former slave dwellings. Since 2010, he has slept in more than 250 such sites across 25 states and Washington, D.C., bringing national attention to these often-overlooked historic structures and the stories of those who lived in them. McGill will kick off the Jubilee on Friday evening with a “Campfire Conversation” at the Botetourt County Administration Center…