Countdown To Evanston's 1st Virtual Juneteenth Parade

EVANSTON, IL — Evanston's first Juneteenth parade (virtual), organized by Kemone Hendricks of Evanston Present and Future is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday. Juneteenth, which has only recently gained broader recognition, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers, led by General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil war had ended and that enslaved people were now free.

This news came to Texas two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had little impact on Texans because there were so few Union troops there to enforce the order. With General Granger's arrival, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

Hendricks, who is also spearheading local efforts to demand that Juneteenth be recognized as a federal holiday, had big plans for Evanston's parade. She envisioned a large street affair with floats, flags, and marchers, akin to Evanston's annual Fourth of July parade--but more inclusive and held in a more central and diverse Evanston neighborhood.

But when COVID-19 interrupted that vision, she pivoted fast and the celebrations, no less meaningful, will now play out online.

The virtual parade, which starts at 6 p.m. on Friday and resumes at 6 p.m. on Saturday, will be choc-a-block with entertainment, education, reflection, and joy. Friday will feature singing, dance performances, reflections by Evanston community leaders, an interview with Opal Lee, a 93-year-old Texas resident who began a petition asking Congress to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday, and more.

On Saturday morning, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hendricks will host a Juneteenth pop-up shop at C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor, 1901 Church Street, where residents can purchase yard signs, t-shirts, and more. Representatives from Young, Black and Lit, and organization committed to increasing access to children's books that center, reflect, and affirm Black children, will be there with a supply of books.

Saturday evening will feature a dramatic reading of the 1965 play "A Day of Absence" by Douglas Turner Ward and directed by Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre's Artistic Director Tim Rhoze. The play is a reverse minstrel show in which Black actors play the white residents of a small Southern town who wake up one morning to discover that all the town's Black residents have disappeared. The play depicts the ensuing chaos that descends when the Black people — whose work makes the whites’ privilege possible — fail to show up for work. It's over-the-top humor provides sharp commentary on systemic racism in 1965 ... and is still relevant today.

The events this weekend will be streamed live on YouTube, on Evanston Present and Future's Facebook page, and on Dear Evanston's Facebook page. The online commemorations will be followed by a celebratory Juneteenth car parade at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 27, with more details to come.

Last year, Hendrick's arranged a Juneteenth celebration at the Noyes Cultural Center that drew about 100 people. She hopes that hundreds more will tune in this weekend — and that annual Juneteenth celebrations continue to be an integral part of Evanston in the future.

"It's not only a Black holiday that just Black people should be celebrating," says Hendricks. "Everyone should be celebrating it because it's America's real emancipation day."

With the recent police murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and others, and the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on Black and brown communities, this year and this moment seem particularly ripe for Juneteenth to rise from relative obscurity.

"We need to really take a look at America, for what it is, what it still is, and what we're still fighting for," says Hendricks. "Part of that is recognizing and celebrating Juneteenth."

To enhance viewers' enjoyment of Juneteenth, Hecky's BBQ and Good to Go Jamaican Restaurant are offering special Juneteenth dinner packages.

Hecky's Barbecue Juneteenth Dinner Menu Options

Dinner for 6: $75.00 or $12.50/person
Rib tips with sauce
Smoked chicken wings with sauce on the side
Macaroni and cheese
Greens
6 corn muffins
6 bottles of Juneteenth Strawberry Soda

Dinner for 4: $50.00 or $12.50/person
Rib tips with sauce
Smoked chicken wings with sauce on the side
Macaroni and cheese
Greens
4 corn muffins
4 bottles of Juneteenth Strawberry Soda

Hecky’s BBQ, 1902 Green Bay Road, Evanston, 847-492-1182

Good To Go Jamaican Restaurant Juneteenth dinner menu options

Dinner for 4: $60 or $15/person
Meat choices:
Jerk BBQ chicken or Jerk BBQ wings
Jerk Rib Tips ($70/4)
SIDES Choose 2:
Mac n Cheese
Potato Salad
Sweet Potato
Collard Green
Rice and Beans
Steamed Cabbage
4 bottles of Juneteenth Strawberry Soda
4 homemade tea cakes from Noir d'Ébène Chocolat et Patisserie

Dinner for 6: $90 or $15/person
Meat Choices:
Jerk BBQ chicken or Jerk BBQ wings
Jerk Rib Tips ($105/6)
SIDES Choose 2:
Mac n Cheese
Potato Salad
Sweet Potato
Collard Green
Rice and Beans
Steamed Cabbage
6 bottles of Juneteenth Strawberry Soda
6 homemade tea cakes Noir d'Ébène Chocolat et Patisserie

Good to Go, 711 Howard St., Evanston, 847-868-8226