Juneteenth 2021: How Glenview Marks The End Of Slavery

GLENVIEW, IL — As efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday continue, people in and near Glenview are having a celebration/celebrations of their own. Juneteenth, held annually on June 19, celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and the date many slaves in Texas finally found out they were free.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, according to Juneteenth.com. It is “a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings.” In recent years, Juneteenth “commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.”

In Arlington Heights, a Juneteenth Prayer & Witness is being held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. June 19 at St. James Catholic Church, 820 N Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights.

A family-friendly Juneteenth block party is planned for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Sunset Woods Park, 1801 Sunset Road, Highland Park. There will be stories from a local children's author, food trucks and a dance performance, according to organizers.

A free Juneteenth Journey for the whole family is set to begin at 10 a.m. at the African American Museum at the England Manor, 503 N. Genesee St., before heading to several other locations in Waukegan and North Chicago.

The Morton Grove Public Library is holding a free virtual Juneteenth event from 2 to 3 p.m. June 19. David Swope, manager of student diversity and inclusion at College of DuPage, explains the history and importance of Juneteenth. This presentation is sponsored in collaboration with the Fox River Valley Public Library District. Zoom. Registration and information at mgpl.org/events or 847-965-4220.

Juneteenth is held on June 19 because that was the date in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and all slaves were free. Many of the slaves in Texas had not known of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had actually given them freedom more than two years earlier.

Granger read “General Order No. 3,” which stated, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves,” according to the city of Galveston, which has an historical marker for its connection to the holiday.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., a Harvard University professor and African American historian, wrote in The Root magazine that Juneteenth is “an occasion for gathering lost family members, measuring progress against freedom and inculcating rising generations with the values of self-importance and racial uplift.”

Most states have Juneteenth listed as an official holiday, although it is not a national holiday. In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. In the time since, 45 other states have decided to officially recognize the day, according to The New York Times.

Juneteenth celebrations have occurred in most states, according to Juneteenth.com. A number of cities and towns held events and parades for the 150th anniversary in 2015.

Also On Patch: What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday That Marks The End Of Slavery

More and more places, such as Anne Arundel County, Maryland, are recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. County offices will be closed on Friday, June 18, in observance of the Saturday holiday this year, and Annapolis will host Maryland’s first Juneteenth festival with a parade through the state capital.

"Celebrating Juneteenth as an official county holiday demonstrates our county's true commitment to freedom and equality — for all," Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said in a statement. "The growing national push for observance of Juneteenth is an important step as we move forward toward justice for this community, in light of centuries of racism, discrimination, and inequity."

Some major American brands — Twitter, Nike and the National Football League, included — have made Juneteenth a paid company holiday.