Lincoln observes third annual Juneteenth Celebration

 

[June 24, 2022] 

On Sunday, members of the public gathered together at the Logan County Fairgrounds for the Third Annual Juneteenth observation in Lincoln.

The afternoon started with a march from Scully Park to the fairgrounds. The event had many sponsors. For the rest of the day, there were various speakers and performances with Tiffani Jackson serving as emcee. A number of small, African-American owned businesses from around central Illinois set up tables. There was a table with free books, as well as face-painting, coloring contests, and bounce houses for children and families.

But beyond all of that, it was a day for celebration. Juneteenth - sometimes called Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, or Emancipation Day - recognizes and celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. The day identifies the liberation of the last slaves in the United States in Texas.

Additionally, Juneteenth commemorates the day that Union Army General Gordon Granger gave federal orders proclaiming that all slaves in Texas were free, nearly two-and-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

In recent years, both Illinois and the federal government recognized Juneteenth as official government holidays.

[Derek Hurley]