Making Room for JOY.
Expanding awareness for a celebration of Black freedom, history, and community.
International African American Museum · Presented by TD Bank
Silver Honoree · 6th Annual Anthem Awards
An incredible program gives marketing something meaningful to amplify. At the International African American Museum, J.O.Y. | Juneteenth on the Yard was exactly that.
Brandon Reid, Public Historian within IAAM’s Learning & Engagement department, and his team led the program. They created a free celebration that brought generations together at Gadsden’s Wharf, a historic site of forced arrival, to reflect on the history of emancipation and experience what Black freedom looks, sounds, and feels like today.
There was plenty to invite people into. D Smoke headlined the main stage, Benny Starr brought music and storytelling together in The Table, and families explored hands-on activities in Ubuntu Village. Charleston Black Expo curated a marketplace of Black-owned businesses, local food vendors showcased culinary traditions from across the African Diaspora, and complimentary museum admission gave guests a chance to explore the galleries. Through Visions of J.O.Y. and the J.O.Y. Exchange, guests could share their own expressions of joy.
As Chief Marketing Officer, I led the team responsible for getting that invitation out. We wanted people to hear about J.O.Y. in the places they already spent time and find it in the places they already looked for things to do.
Billboards put J.O.Y. in front of people on their daily commutes. Radio ads and on-air shoutouts brought the invitation to listeners through familiar local voices. Paid social helped us reach beyond the museum’s existing followers, and Google ads made J.O.Y. easier to discover when people were searching for local events. On our own social channels, we built anticipation and gave followers something they could share. At the museum, an onsite promotional campaign invited visitors to come back for Juneteenth.
And when it came to local digital community calendars, we went full “shout it from every rooftop.” If people were looking for something to do in Charleston, we wanted J.O.Y. to be part of what they found.
More than 5,500 people attended, up 15% from 2025. The celebration recorded more than $20,500 in onsite sales and $5,000 in onsite giving. That same month, IAAM’s broader integrated campaign "Season of Jubilee" received more than $300,000 in pledges.
IAAM entered the Anthem Awards for the first time and came home with two Silver honors. J.O.Y. was one of them. The 6th Annual Anthem Awards received more than 2,500 entries from 43 countries. In that field, a free Juneteenth celebration built by Brandon Reid and his Learning & Engagement team, right here in Charleston, earned international recognition. That’s a big deal for IAAM, and it’s a moment to give Brandon and his team their flowers. My team and I got to help more people discover what they’d built. Seeing that work celebrated on this scale is something I’ll be proud of for a long time.
Their work was always award-worthy. Now, there’s an award to back it up.