Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19, marks 155 years since the abolition of slavery in the United States and a number of organizations in Chicago are hosting events to mark the historic milestone.
While aiming to celebrate and commemorate Black culture for his Black Culture Week, Chicago native TJ Crawford is doing his part by using “Black culture to help heal individuals and build healthy communities.”
“We want to help black people to recognize our history of greatness, creativity and understand our resilience,” Crawford said.
Black Culture Week, which runs from Friday through June 28, and kicked off Friday morning with virtual prayer and meditation. A list of the week’s virtual and in-person events can be found at www.blackcultureweek.com.
Another Chicago-based organization will mark the holiday with a block party-styled celebration in Bronzeville. “Juneteenth: The Celebration, organized in collaboration with the Girls Like Me Project and the Harold Washington Cultural Center, will take place Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the center, 4701 S. King Dr.
The event, supported by Chicago’s Safe and Peaceful Communities Fund, will feature a live DJ set, grocery giveaways, children’s book giveaways and a number of raffles with prizes.
“Our event brings together intergenerational cultural traditions like African drumming, quilting, jumping rope, all of these things that are considered ‘old school,’ and we pair it with younger intergenerational things like gaming. We let the younger people show their new dances and have a great time with peace and community in mind,” said La’Keisha Gray-Sewell, CEO of the Girls Like Me Project.
The Chicago-based organization Social Change will also host a Juneteeth food giveaway in the parking lot of the DuSable Museum, 740 E. 56th Pl. The first 19 families to arrive Friday will receive a free one-year membership to the DuSable Museum.
Roses4Austin and EqualityShouldBeNormal are hosting a rally and celebration which starts at 6 p.m. Friday at the South Loop Green Space, 2400 S. State St. Additional information can be found on the event’s Facebook page. Attendees are encouraged to practice social distancing and to wear masks.
Haute Society will host a “Rebuild Black Wall Street” mobile parade, beginning with a 2:30 p.m. discussion about Juneteenth followed by the parade, which kicks off at 3 p.m. Friday. Participating motorists are asked to meet at 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Walgreens, 35th Street and King Drive Avenue. Organizers are asking for donations of hand sanitizer, wet wipes, masks, gloves and non-perishable goods. Additional information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
Roll N Peace and Critical Mass Chicago will co-host a bicycle tour through Englewood, meeting at 4 p.m. Friday at 63rd Street and Halsted Street. The tour will end with a celebration at the Chicago Firehouse Engine Company. Free bike rentals will be provided by Divvy.
For the second year, there will be a Juneteenth family festival at the Dan Ryan Woods, 8700 S. Western Ave., starting at noon Friday until 5 p.m. Admission is free.
