Press Release
Brookgreen Gardens, a leading conservator of Lowcountry culture and history, will celebrate Juneteenth on June 18th, 2022, through engaging programs, live music, and an award ceremony. The inaugural Huntington Exemplary Service Award will be presented to community members who have worked to improve race relations in the past year. The award is named in honor of Brookgreen's founders, Anna and Archer Huntington, who left a legacy of public service and Gullah Geechee conservation through their work in Georgetown County.
“Brookgreen is a cultural center for our community,” says Page Kiniry, President and CEO of Brookgreen Gardens. “We are excited to have visitors join us on the weekend of Juneteenth to celebrate history and freedom and to recognize some of the talented people from this area who are committed to investing in our community and relationships.”
Brookgreen's Vice President for Creative Education and Gullah descendant, Ron Daise, will start the celebration with “The Sensibilities of Freedom” at 11 a.m., a discussion that provides a historical overview of Juneteenth, the significance of the holiday, its contemporary ramifications, and ways the celebration continues. This interactive program will ask the audience to imagine “freedom” from points of view that utilize their five senses – sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell.
At noon, Brookgreen will award nine community members who have worked to improve race relations in Georgetown and Horry Counties over the last year. The inaugural Huntington Exemplary Service Award will be bestowed in honor of Brookgreen's founders and in recognition of Brookgreen's 90th anniversary. Nominations for the Huntington Exemplary Service Award were received and reviewed by a committee comprised of Brookgreen representatives and community leaders. Recipients of this year's award are Zenobia Harper, Marilyn Hemingway, Kelvin Waites, and Steve Williams (Georgetown County); Tracy Bailey, Veronica Gerald Floyd, Reverend Cheryl Moore Adamson, and The World Community Magazine (Horry County); and Issac Bailey (Statewide).
The celebration will continue until 3 pm with live music from ReggaeInfinity from Columbia, S.C. This event is free with Gardens admission.
For more information about Brookgreen Gardens, visit www.brookgreen.org.
