By Shawn Nowlin
At the turn of the century, Darlene Swain and some friends came up with an idea in Rocky Mount that would serve as a symbol of community celebration and historical acknowledgment. Over the last 25 years, the Warren Street Festival has grown from a local concept to an inclusive annual gathering that uplifts Black culture, community and legacy.
This year’s ten-hour event on Aug. 16 featured the Warren Dance Academy, Aaron Martin & The 2 Live Band, Adaira, Malachi on the Sax, Gurlz With Attidudez, DJ Joe, DJ OneSix, Kemistry and Solacoustix.
“The 25th Annual Warren Street Festival was amazing. The farmers market was filled with incredible vendors, delicious food, great music and a true spirit of community and celebration,” Holland Perdue wrote on Facebook. “The fun went on until 10:00 p.m., so there was plenty of time for people to come out and be part of this special tradition.”
“I am grateful to the festival for allowing the Central Appalachian Cherokee Tribe to help open the ceremony in offering the prayer and blessing the land,” W. Lee Eames said. “I have never, ever felt so embraced by my hometown. I bowed gently to God for the joy of standing alongside my true brothers and true sisters.”
Susan Miles is a registered nurse who grew up in West Virginia. Deborah Coleman is an entrepreneur who grew up in Arkansas. Despite being white women who grew up in conservative households, both say it wasn’t until they left for college that they realized just how biased and wrong their family’s values were.
“As white people, I think it’s so important to help preserve and amplify Black history,” Coleman said before Miles added, “When I show up to events like this, I ask questions and listen to the people who know what they speak.”
As chairwoman for the Warren Street Festival, Paris Swain says this year’s gathering exceeded all expectations.
“Darlene Swain is my grandmother. She and her friends felt that our history in Franklin County wasn’t properly represented, so she decided to do something about it. She wrote a book where she collected over 100 stories from natives of Franklin County called ‘A Fight Without Freedom,’” Swain said.
She added, “Since August is Black Business Month, it made sense to host the yearly occurrence then. The goal is always for people to enjoy themselves from start to finish. Many people took advantage of the genealogy table this year, which was awesome.”
For the most current information, visit www.warrenstreeths.org.
