Juneteenth in Springfield: Here are some events going on for the holiday

Show Caption

Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., celebrated on June 19.
Springfield, Illinois is hosting a variety of Juneteenth events from June 12-19, including a pageant, panel discussions, and a parade.
Several events are free and open to the public, including admission to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on June 19.

SPRINGFIELD — Since 2021, Juneteenth has been celebrated in the U.S. as a federal holiday, commemorating the day in 1865 in Galveston, Texas, when the last slaves in the country heard the news that they were being freed.

The upcoming holiday for Springfield marks 31 years of celebrating at Comer Cox Park, where many of the local events are held.

Here’s how to join the celebration.

Table of Contents

When is the holiday?

Juneteenth is officially June 19, though there are events planned from June 12 to June 19 that celebrate Black community and culture, discuss history, and focus on community initiatives.

Are government offices closed?

Yes. State and federal offices will be closed on June 19. City and county offices will also be closed.

Local events happening for the holiday

Thursday, June 12

Mr. & Miss Juneteenth Pageant at Southeast High School’s auditorium at 6 p.m. This event is billed as a day of elegance and excellence. The pageant encourages the youth to express their values, talents, and diverse backgrounds, according to a Facebook event listing. Juneteenth Inc. organizers are partnering with Grace United Methodist Church to give two scholarships to the winners.

Friday, June 13

A Lunch and Learn Panel Discussion will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at the Illinois State Museum. It is titled “Freeish: The Resiliency of Black History Beyond Erasures.” Juneteenth Inc. created the event in partnership with ISM, the UIS Center for Lincoln Studies, and the Department of Natural Resources. Brian Mitchell will be the moderator.

Saturday, June 14

Starting with the Unity Parade at 10 a.m. that leads into Comer Cox Park, activities will be held at the park throughout Saturday and Sunday. The parade steps off at Martin Luther King Drive and Brown Street. An opening ceremony will follow at 11 a.m. at the park.
A basketball tournament will be happening on Saturday and Sunday with free entry. For info, contact 217-504-3428 or scan the QR code on Juneteenth Inc.’s Facebook page.
A Car & Bike Show begins at Martin Luther King Drive and Capitol Avenue, at 11 a.m., which will go on all day. Attendance is free, but there is a fee to display your vehicle.

Sunday, June 15

Monday, June 16

Stop the Violence Community Panel at One in a Million Inc. Community Resource Center (700 S. Livingston St.) will happen from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This is a community panel discussion with families and youth, in its second year running. The panel aims to give the youth a space to talk freely about their concern with the violence that goes on within their community or in the schools, organizers said. The panel also aims to ask the youth how they can better support the youth to excel and get out of those environments.

Tuesday, June 17

The great-grandson of civil rights icon Ida B. Wells, Dan Duster, will speak at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum at 6:30 p.m. The event is hosted by the UIS Center for Lincoln Studies, in partnership with Juneteenth Inc. and the ALPLM. The event, titled “Leading WELLS: Lessons in Courage and Leadership from Ida B. Wells,” will highlight Wells’ 19th-century struggles and triumphs to inspire people to overcome obstacles and stand up against injustice in the workplace, schools and communities.
- Duster has worked with community organizations, corporations and schools on restorative justice initiatives. He has collaborated with the National Governors Association and the Congressional Tri-Caucus and attended the White House signing of the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are required and available at go.uis.edu/Juneteenth. Reservations made for the originally scheduled speaker, Nikole Hannah-Jones, will be honored.

Wednesday, June 18

A Youth Day at The Outlet is set for 2 p.m. Young people can join for a resource day with mentors and employment opportunities for the youth. Food vendors will be present.

Thursday, June 19

Lincoln Land Community College is hosting its second annual Freedom Walk in observance of Juneteenth, which takes place at 8:30 a.m. at 5250 Shepherd Rd. The public is invited to participate. The 1.25 mile walk around the Springfield campus begins at the flag poles outside the A. Lincoln Commons. Those walking are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors of red, green, gold or black. A light continental breakfast will be provided afterward. Also afterward, the LLCC Library will show a 15-minute documentary-style video about Opal Lee, who they cite as the grandmother of Juneteenth. It is titled “The Tex Factor: The Journey of Opal Lee”, which will play at 9:30 a.m., 11:30, and 1:30 p.m.
Youth Breakfast at Salvation Army Clearlake at 10 a.m. The event will honor the community’s youth and it is youth-led. There will be young emcees, a young DJ. Additionally, the breakfast will honor youth artists. Tickets can be purchased online at juneteenthinc.org.
Levitt AMP concert series. Juneteenth Inc. is hosting this evening. The Rumble is performing, who are out of New Orleans and play funk music.
Free admission to visit the ALPLM on this day.

Ongoing

Illinois State Museum opened a temporary exhibit on May 31, “NOIR V.” It will be open through Sept. 1, featuring photography, mixed media, oil and acrylic paintings, pastel work, and other artworks by Black artists. The theme is resilience. The exhibit is co-curated by Austin Wells and Elijah Miller.
The Emancipation Proclamation will be on display at the ALPLM library building weekdays from June 13 through June 26 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. One special weekend display will take place Saturday, June 14. There is no charge to see the proclamation.
“The Nature of Freedom” is a readers theater presentation at the ALPLM that features the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Harriet Tubman and more. Performances take place at noon on June 12, 13, 18 and 19, as well as 6:30 p.m. on June 19. For details, visit https://presidentlincoln.illinois.gov/events.

Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@gannett.com.