Celebrating World Refugee Day in Greensboro, NC
Updated: 2 days ago
World Refugee Day is June 20 — a fact I did not know until my first day at my SHECP internship.
By Kalvin Larson, 2026 SHECP Intern with New Arrivals Institute
On my first day, my supervisor pulled me into her office to go over the basics. I would be starting my day at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m., but she added that I should really consider coming in on Saturday for World Refugee Day. At the time, I was not sure what she meant, but I was excited for the novel experience.
When Saturday morning rolled around, I arrived at the park at 8 a.m. sharp, a rather early morning for a weekend. The sun was already peeking through the clouds, and I was bracing myself for a long, hot day directing parking for the event. Yet, when people started arriving and I put on my bright yellow “STAFF” vest, my perspective shifted. It no longer seemed so early, and the sun didn’t seem as hot.
We hauled dozens of chairs and tables for organizations to set up their booths and carried hundreds of hygiene bags that would later be given away to community members. Vendors unloaded coolers and trays of food from their cars, and every booth I helped set up made me a little hungrier than the last. The once-quiet park was slowly filling up.
After a couple of hours of setting up, community members finally started flowing in, and the celebration officially began with the annual parade. I assumed I would simply stand on the sidelines, still directing traffic, and watch as people carried the flags of the countries represented in the refugee community. Instead, just before the parade began, my supervisor handed me a flag and told me to get in there. Before I really had time to think about it, I found myself walking in the parade carrying the flag of Togo.
As we walked together, dozens of colorful flags waved, each representing a country that refugees had called home before coming to the United States. We ended the parade by placing the flags near the stage, where they remained for the rest of the day as a colorful reminder of the many countries and cultures represented that day.
As the parade ended, the park came alive. The food vendors I had helped earlier suddenly had lines stretching from their booths, and the hygiene bags I had helped carry in found their way into the hands of community members. People were divided into teams and began a soccer tournament, and community members were connecting.
Amid these connections, there were performances showcasing the incredible diversity of the community. A Ukrainian woman stood before the crowd and sang a song in her native language while, only a short distance away, soccer games continued with cheering families lining the sidelines. Traditional African dances filled the stage with colorful clothing, rhythmic drumming and joy. One performance that especially stood out was a group of Nigerian children enthusiastically singing “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.” Despite having microphones, the kids still felt the need to shout the lyrics just to make sure they were heard. Their performance was truly the highlight of my day.
By the afternoon, the heat was catching up to me, and I wandered over to a South Sudanese couple selling $1 popsicles. Curious about one of the flavors, I bought two baobab popsicles using my lucky $2 bill. As they handed them to me, they explained what the baobab tree is and how its fruit is enjoyed back home in South Sudan. I had never heard of the fruit before, but the popsicle was perfect. I gave the second one to a coworker and immediately tried to explain everything I had just learned about the baobab tree.
As the day continued, members of the Greensboro cohort arrived, and we finally had a chance to relax together. We grabbed free hot dogs provided by the local police department, caught up with one another, and watched families continue celebrating around us. Everywhere I looked, people were laughing, dancing, playing soccer, sharing food and reconnecting with friends.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted from the heat, but I left with far more than I expected. I came away with new conversations, new experiences and a much deeper appreciation for the purpose of World Refugee Day. What began as a Saturday work assignment became one of the most meaningful experiences of my internship — a reminder that community is built through welcoming others, celebrating their stories and taking the time to learn from one another.
Kalvin Larson is studying Sociology and History at Middlebury College, class of 2028. During his 2026 SHECP Internship, he worked with the case management team at New Arrivals Institute in Greensboro, NC. Each summer, SHECP interns are placed with nonprofit and government agencies that work on the front lines of poverty and serve as co-educators to students.
New Arrivals Institute (NAI) is a Greensboro, NC-based nonprofit that supports refugees and immigrants through education, family support, and community integration programs. Interns at NAI work directly alongside staff and clients, gaining hands-on experience in nonprofit work while helping newly arrived families build new lives in the U.S.
Learn more about the baobab fruit from the Michigan State University Extension: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/baobab_a_super_fruit
