An annual day of celebration and reflection returns to Naperville’s Rotary Park Saturday with the fifth annual Juneteenth gathering.
“We’re going to continue our emphasis on community, connections, education and bringing people together. That’s our mission,” said Kim White, co-founder of Naperville Neighbors United, which organizes the free downtown event being held from noon to 3 p.m.
Juneteenth is a national holiday that recognizes the official end of slavery in the United States and honors the contributions Black Americans have made to society and their communities. It was on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers reached Texas — the westernmost Confederate state — with the news that the state’s 250,000 slaves had been freed.
“(This event) gives us the opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history while we celebrate their freedom and their resilience and the progress that has been made,” White said.
“Slavery was an ugly part of our history. To be able to celebrate freedom and the resilience that those individuals had … it’s a reminder that if we understand our shared history, it really helps to strengthen our community. In this day and age, we want to make sure that history does not divide us. We need to … acknowledge our collective journey, if you will.”
Juneteenth is not only about what happened in 1865, but also about what we choose to do with history today, White said at last week’s Naperville City Council meeting, where a proclamation declaring June 19 to be Juneteenth Day in the city was read by Mayor Scott Wehrli.
Naperville Neighbors United believes communities are strongest when people engage with one another in a spirit of understanding, respect and connection, she said. Their mission is to create opportunities where education and connections can happen.
Geneace Williams, Naperville’s diversity, equity and inclusion manager, will be speaking at Saturday’s event, as she does every year, White said.
“We love having her come and share her words,” she said.
Elected representatives from the city of Naperville and DuPage County are also scheduled to speak.
Live music will be provided by Mays Music Centre’s Harmony and Soul band, which will be playing a variety of rhythm and blues, gospel, soul and hip-hop.
“We have a lot of activities for kids, there will be different things like face painting (and crafts) for them,” White said. “There is some learning involved with the craft. They’re able to really learn about the history and significance of what Juneteenth is.”
There also will be more than 30 vendors “sharing different things about community activities taking place in town. Other nonprofits will be sharing their events as well,” she said.
Among other highlights will be line dancing and food trucks, including Jamaican restaurant Jamrock BBQ Jerk, as well as ice cream and pizza.
That the event is a combination of history, connection and fun generates a lot of positive feedback, White said.
“Food and dancing and understanding one another’s culture — those types of things bring people together,” she said. “People really enjoy the event. It’s a very positive atmosphere. And knock on wood, we’ve always had great weather. It’s just a beautiful day in June.”
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
