Captured: Evanston celebrates Juneteenth with sixth annual parade

Welcome to The Daily’s photo blog: Captured. This is a space for The Daily’s photographers to share their best work, including photos from weekend performances and events around the community. You can contact the photo editor by emailing [email protected].

Evanston celebrated Juneteenth with its sixth annual parade Saturday. The 1.3-mile-long route began at Evanston Township High School and ended at the old Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center. ETHS’ cheerleading squad and dance team, the Jesse White Tumbling Team and the South Shore Drill Team performed, while local organizations marched along the way.

The parade was followed by a celebration dedicated to the Divine Nine, nine historically Black fraternities and sororities.

Juneteenth honors the liberation of the last enslaved people in the U.S. on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas. The day was declared a federal holiday in 2021 by then-President Joe Biden, as well as an Illinois state holiday by Gov. JB Pritzker.

Evanston’s yearly parade began in 2020. Since its inception, Kemone Hendricks, the founder of Evanston Present and Future, has organized the celebration.

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