Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill in 2021 to commemorate June 19, 1865, the date when the last enslaved Black people in the U.S. learned that they were free. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, and it is celebrated in most cities and many smaller communities with food festivals, park parties and historical reenactments.
Here in Springfield, the annual celebration has continued to grow, welcoming new participating organizations each year and adding more events. This year, it has a week-long slate of events, from June 13 through the Juneteenth state holiday on June 19. All of the events help achieve Juneteenth, Inc.'s goal to educate and celebrate, while highlighting African American cultural contributions with live music events, art exhibitions, presentations and just a lot of fun stuff to do.
Thursday, June 13
Senior Services of Central Illinois is planning a day of reflection at 12:15 p.m. Pastor Paul W. Davis of the Greater All Nation Tabernacle will speak on how far the nation has progressed since slavery and what more can be done.
The celebration will pick up steam at the Y Block with a performance at by Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, who will be bringing their unique sound of part modern blues and part traditional zydeco to the stage. Zuh-Cari, a local hip-hop and soul artist, opens the show. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. The performance is also part of the Levitt AMP Springfield Music concert series.
Friday, June 14
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will host "Freeish – A Discussion on Black Citizenship in the Land of Lincoln," on June 14 at 10 a.m., a collaboration between Juneteenth, Inc. and the Center for Lincoln Studies at University of Illinois Springfield. Panelists will discuss the history of Black Americans in Illinois and their fight for full American citizenship. The goal is to demonstrate the significance of the Black American experience, the importance of celebrating Juneteenth and to show why all Americans are still not fully free. The scheduled panelists include Kathryn Harris, Shatriya Smith, Gwen Harrison, Dr. Brian Mitchell, Tiffani Saunders and Justin Rose. Dr. Lesa Johnson of UIS will moderate the discussion.
Springfield Southeast High School will host a pageant where young men and women will vie for the crowns of Mr. and Miss Juneteenth.
Saturday, June 15
The fourth collection of the annual NOIR art exhibition, "NOIR IV: Landmarks," will be displayed at the Dana-Thomas House Historic Site June 15 through Sept. 8. The exhibition was curated by Alyssa Farmer and Austin Wells and is being presented by Illinois State Museum, in partnership with Juneteenth, Inc.
The weekend celebration at Comer Cox Park begins Saturday with the Juneteenth Celebration Unity Parade. It begins at 10 a.m. at South Grand Avenue East and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and heads north to Comer Cox Park where the festivities will be hitting their stride. Expect to find more than 20 vendors along with food trucks, face painting and balloon art, contests and raffles, and a Juneteenth history timeline. Kids can join in a youth skills football camp with the 2023 Mr. Juneteenth, Keshon Singleton, and a basketball tournament. Don't miss the Car & Bike Show at American Legion Post 809 just across Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from Comer Cox Park.
Some great sound will be coming from the stage all day as it welcomes top-notch performers – James Armstrong, Paul Bill Jr., Saint Boogie Brass Band, Johnnie Owens & Silk and Robert Sampson. One of the weekend's highlights is a Saturday evening performance by Morris Day and The Time, an American funk rock band that contributed to the development of an eclectic fusion of funk, rhythm and blues, new wave, synth-pop and dance, known as the Minneapolis sound.
The ALPLM will present The Nature of Freedom: A literary commemoration of Juneteenth at 11 a.m. and again on June 19 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. In this reader's theater piece, the actors present the script without the usual theater accoutrements and special lighting. Using only scripts and vocal expression, the actors help the audience understand and follow the story. The 35-minute act will include quotations attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Harriet Tubman, Dr. Maya Angelou, Robert Smalls, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Bibb.
The presidential library will display a rare copy of the document that played a key role in the historic day of freedom on June 19, 1865 – the Emancipation Proclamation. This copy is one of about two dozen that survive and was signed by both Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward. The document can be viewed during library hours on June 15 and June 17-July 3. Admission is free.
Sunday, June 16
The celebration at the park will spill into Sunday, when the morning starts with the popular Fitness in the Park at 9 a.m. A revival, led by Father's House International, will follow at 10 a.m. Later, you can catch a performance of the Springfield Municipal Band at 12:30 p.m., then Kapitol Sound, Pastor Jerry Jones & the Fantastic Jones Family, Smooth Times and R&B Live Ladies Edition will take the stage for an afternoon of live music.
Monday, June 17
One in a Million, an organization with a mission to "move our community towards spiritual, social, racial, political and economic equality," will host a "Stop the Violence" discussion at 6 p.m. with a community panel at 700 S. Livingston St.
Tuesday, June 18
Juneteenth, Inc. is partnering with The Boys & Girls Club of Central Illinois to offer a Youth Enrichment Camp at the Route History Museum from 1-4 p.m. A fun day is planned including educational activities, projects, and arts and crafts.
The ALPLM is also hosting Harvard professor and multi-award-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed for a presentation at 6:30 p.m. in the Union Theater. Gordon-Reed has won 16 book prizes, including the Pulitzer Prize in history, for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. She is the first Black person to receive that honor. Her most recent book, On Juneteenth, which is part memoir and part retelling of the history of Texas, was named one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post, TIME and NPR. She is considered by many to be "one of the most important American historians of our time." There is no charge to attend, but advance registration is required for this program.
Wednesday, June 19
Lincoln Land Community College will host the second annual Freedom Walk on June 19 at 8:30 a.m. The 1.25-mile walk around the Springfield campus begins at the flagpoles outside of A. Lincoln Commons and includes tributes to the timeline of events leading up to Juneteenth's Freedom Day. Participants are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors of red, green, gold or black.
The walk will be followed by the Future Leaders Juneteenth Breakfast at 10 a.m., where Dr. Tatyana Gardner of the Springfield Urban League will speak on the significance of the holiday to future generations. The event will include other speakers, entertainment and the recognition of young entrepreneurs. Tickets for the breakfast are available on EventBrite.
Admission to the ALPLM is free in honor of Juneteenth, and the museum will offer performances of Small Beginnings, a one-act play that tells the remarkable story of Robert Smalls, a man who led a group of enslaved people to freedom in 1862 by way of a bold riverboat escape plan through Confederate waters. Smalls is portrayed by Reggie Guyton with Randy Erwin providing the accompanying music. Performances are at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and again June 25 at 1:30 p.m. The ALPLM will also offer repeat performances of The Nature of Freedom: A literary commemoration of Juneteenth at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The evening performances are free, but do require tickets to be reserved in advance.
The Henson Robinson Zoo is offering free admission to everyone on June 19. It's another way for more people to celebrate Juneteenth while also connecting with nature.
Juneteenth is more than just a party in the park. It is a cultural exploration, an educational opportunity and a great way to engage in conversations about our history. It's also a wildly wonderful celebration for the whole community.
