Juneteenth 2026: Remembering past, celebrating future

ASHEBORO — Edy was taken from her parents at the age of 10 and moved from Connecticut to Randolph County, NC. Bought as a slave by Hugh McCain, Edy was later inhumanely treated by her master to the point that she died of her injuries.

Since it was not against the law to charge a slave owner for murdering a slave, instead McCain was indicted for “nuisance.”

That story and others about slavery in Randolph County were told at the Juneteenth ceremony on June 18 in front of the Historic 1909 Courthouse on Worth Street. Stretched across the front of the courthouse lawn were the documented names of more than 1,600 slaves in Randolph County. A sign above the names proclaimed, “Unheard Voices: Randolph County’s Memorial to Our Enslaved Ancestors.”

Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the United States. This marks the fourth year that it’s been commemorated in Asheboro.

Clyde Foust Jr., head of the Randolph County Chapter of the NAACP, was emcee of the program. He said the ceremony was to “honor people who sacrificed … their labor helped to build the economy that we live on today. Randolph County needs to honor them.”

Bishop Michael Trogdon gave the opening prayer, saying that we today are “profoundly sorry … for the pain they suffered. They persevered and laid the foundation” for the freedoms that eventually came.

Mac Whatley, known as the Randolph County historian, said that even with a large Quaker population dedicated to abolition of slavery, local slaves “were not always well treated.” He then recounted the stories of Edy and Rosette, who was injured by her master and died in 1825.

“Randolph County was the only county in the Piedmont with no lynchings, partly because of Quakers and the moral climate,” Whatley said. But when the law was passed against the freeing of slaves, many of the Quakers left for free states such as Indiana.

“They were trying their best to get away from slavery or to fight it,” he continued. Because of the influence of Quakers and other abolitionists, Randolph County voted by a ratio of 1,500 to 1 against secession from the Union.

Foust said, “Many people died to change this system (of slavery). We’ve got a better opportunity to change things.”

Noting that the names on the banners contained “as much information as possible” from official documents, Foust said the Juneteenth ceremony was a way to “thank those who did the work,” including local people who fought for civil rights during the 1950s and 1960s.

During the ceremony, Patricia Covington sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and Asheboro High School student Jonah Key performed a trumpet solo of “Amazing Grace.”

To end the ceremony, Foust and Asheboro Mayor Joey Trogdon placed a wreath at the foot of the names. On the wreath was a ribbon stating, “We will not forget.”

Local recognitions

Several awards were presented for help with the Juneteenth celebration and for adding names of Randolph County slaves. Honored were: Wil Mahan, Jane Braswell, Kendra Lyons, Chuck Egerton, Dawn Egerton, Megan Crotty, Jonah Key, Patricia Covington, Bishop Michael Trogdon and the City of Asheboro.

On Friday, June 19, the Randolph County NAACP awarded 19 people with the Civil Rights Medal of Freedom for “exemplify(ing) the enduring spirit of justice, equality, and freedom for all.” They were also honored because their “dedication, leadership, and service continue to advance civil rights and strengthen our community.”

Those receiving the medal were Lealon Garrison, Billie Lowery, Linda McMasters Bivens, Bettie Baldwin, Faye Davis, Chester Earlene Crowder, Harrold Williams, Carrie Coble, Melroshia Stewart, Rhonda Hammond, Beulah Everett, Cascille McMasters, Marlene Green, Margie Coble Washington, Sheila Davis Daily, Nancy Hoskins, Delores Shaw-Jackson, Vanessa Brooks and Delores Shaw-Jackson.

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