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 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.
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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] |
