“Freedom is ours!” was the focus of Saturday’s 5th annual Juneteenth Parade and Celebration in Evanston.
Parade founder Kemone Hendricks says Juneteenth honors and celebrates the Black community’s resilience and contributions to our society.
Juneteenth, officially celebrated on June 19, was named a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021. This holiday commemorates the June 19, 1865 emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, who had not been told of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier.
“This is an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the progress that has been made since Juneteenth, but also recognize the work that still needs to be done to achieve true equality while bringing more awareness by parading through the streets of Evanston,” Hendricks said.
The parade stepped off at 11 a.m. from Lee Street and Dodge Avenue just north of the Robert Crown Community Center.
Parade Grand Marshall and Second Ward Alderman Krissie Harris was joined by the ETHS Marching Band, the Evanston Creative Dance Team, the South Shore Drill Team and The Jesse White Tumblers along with floats, walking groups, marching bands & cars.
The parade ended the Civic Center at Dodge and Simpson at noon, where the festivities continued at Ingram Park with Juneteenth celebration, coordinated by Artistic Director of the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre Tim Rhoze. The event featured live performances from noon until 4 p.m., by The McNary Experience, spoken word by Team at Ease, D-Mix Funk & Soul featuring Donovan Mixon, and others with local food vendors, artisans, speakers and children’s play area.
“This event is always about paying homage to the end of what would become an American institution that stole people from their homelands of Africa, enslaved them, tore families apart and built the world’s most successful economy achieved from the free labor of these enslaved and tortured Africans,” Rhoze said. “We commemorate with this in mind, Juneteenth marks the birth of a new era in America, a true independence day.”
New this year, special awards honored individuals and organizations who have made a positive impact on the Evanston community in relation to Juneteenth.
The Freedom Trailblazer Award given to Julia Ferguson; the Shorefront Legacy center was awarded the Heritage Preservation Award; the Unity Champion Award given to Tim Rhoze, the Juneteenth Legacy Award to Hecky Powell and the Emancipation Excellence Award to a parade participant or float that best embodies the spirit of Juneteenth, celebrating freedom, unity and the journey towards equality.
Hendricks says the primary goal for all Juneteenth festivities is to spread awareness and to preserve the history of the holiday.
“We are building a Juneteenth celebration in Evanston with a solid foundation, one that will last for years to come,” Hendricks said. “Like our Fourth of July parade, we want our Juneteenth parade to survive for the next 100 years.”
Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.
