Communities across the Chicago area celebrated Juneteenth on Friday, commemorating the end of slavery in America.
People in the city and suburbs gathered for parades, block parties and a day of service. In south suburban Flossmoor, it was a day of celebrating freedom, joy, Black history and culture.
“The turnout is amazing, the weather is great, the people are great. We had a wonderful parade,” said Tamika Britten, associate director of You Matter 2.
“It feels good celebrating my culture,” said 10-year-old Jaiden Anderson Soto. “It feels amazing.”
Families marked Juneteenth with food, music, dancing and the arts, remembering the history and liberation felt more than 150 years ago.
“I think this day is much more than just for us,” said Chasda Martin, Flossmoor resident. “I think I’d like to see everybody celebrate it for what it really is, but we can’t mistake Black history for American history.”
Youth development group You Matter 2 organized the annual Juneteenth parade and block party.
“It’s really centered around supporting Black-owned businesses, bringing our community together, celebrating Juneteenth and educating our community about the holiday,” said Destiny Watson, You Matter 2 Founder and CEO.
Dozens of Black-owned businesses and vendors were on site, including an online book store.
“We curate by authors of color, so it’s a way to add some diversity and inclusion to your home libraries,” said Tameca Lyons, owner of Brown Babies Books.
In Chicago, people celebrated with a parade in North Lawndale.
The DuSable Black History Museum hosted its largest community event of the year with special programming. My Block, My Hood, My City honored Juneteenth with a day of service.
“We’re just not here to remember history, we want to honor our ancestors through service, so a lot of our elders feel like they’re forgotten about, so today we want them to know they’re not forgotten,” said Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City.
Volunteers distributed box fans and cases of water to seniors while building community.
“Anytime you can make life a little bit easier for someone else, especially on a day as significant as Juneteenth, you know it’s important to do so,” said volunteer Daniel Osafo.
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