The cultural and community impact of the Juneteenth holiday continues to grow in Peoria each year, evidenced by a month filled with several celebrations and activities.
“Juneteenth is more than a day on the calendar,” said Peoria Park District Board President Robert Johnson. “It is a call to reflect on the hard truths of our past, to celebrate the resilience and contributions of Black Americans, and to recommit ourselves to justice, unity, and inclusions in the days ahead.”
Johnson was among more than a dozen speakers representing multiple organizations highlighting a series of Juneteenth events during a news conference Thursday at the Gateway Building.
Mayor Rita Ali called the growth of Peoria’s Juneteenth celebrations a testament to the efforts of organizers, volunteers, community leaders and supporters.
“Their commitment has transformed Juneteenth from a single day of remembrance into a vibrant series of celebrations that educate, inspire, and bring people together throughout the month of June,” she said.
Juneteenth National Independence Day, also called Freedom Day and Jubilee Day, became an official federal and state holiday in 2021. It recognizes June 19 commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S., marking the date in 1865 when the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation occurred in Texas at the end of the Civil War.
A pair of events will commemorate the holiday on Saturday, with the YANI Collective presenting Juneteenth Fest starting at noon on the Peoria riverfront and the Peoria NAACP’s Ernestine Jackson Freedom Parade kicking off at 1 p.m. downtown.
“Remember, we commemorate Juneteenth – but we celebrate freedom, and that is something everyone of every culture and every belief should share,” said Peoria NAACP first vice president Sherry Carter-Allen.
The riverfront will also be the location for Peoria Park District’s Jubilee Day celebration on Juneteenth itself, June 19 from 4-9:30 p.m., while the Southside Community Center’s Freedom Fest gathering at Trewyn Park runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 20.
“Each organization has contributed something unique to the collective story of freedom. That collaboration is what makes Peoria special,” said Chanel Hargrave, the park district’s supervisor of community connections.
“We understand that no one organization owns Juneteenth. Instead, we all have a responsibility to preserve its history and ensure that future generations understand the significance of June 19th.”
Thursday morning’s announcements also served as another opportunity to recognize the winners of Peoria’s Miss Juneteenth Pageant held over Memorial Day weekend.
“I hope to inspire a lot of youth out here to do better, strive for the best,” said Jordan Doss-Watson, this year’s Miss Juneteenth. Standing alongside her as the other pageant winners were Little Miss Juneteenth Arria Isom, Teen Miss Juneteenth Emonnii Jennings, Mister Juneteenth Patrick Pollard and Mrs. Juneteenth Briana Stevenson.
“The Juneteenth pageant is really, really big across the South, and as Juneteenth grows here in Peoria, I want to make the pageant grow just as large,” said Brett Brooks, representing the YANI Collective. “It’s a big deal to highlight the young people in our community.”
Earlier this week, the Tri-County Urban League held its first annual Juneteenth golf outing at WeaverRidge Golf Club. Another first-time event that runs throughout the month is historic Springdale Cemetery’s self-guided Freedom Day driving tour highlighting the lives of departed Black community leaders.
Whisper & Shout, an open mic series organized by Ryan Lowry and the Peoria Poets, will hold its Juneteenth event at 8 p.m. next Thursday at the Contemporary Art Center. The Heritage Ensemble’s 27th Annual Juneteenth Father’s Day Choral Celebration is June 21 at 3 p.m. at Illinois Central College’s Performing Arts Center in East Peoria.
Additionally, the Peoria Riverfront Museum announced an open invitation of free admission on June 19 with extended hours until 8 p.m., offering an opportunity to see such items as a signed Emancipation Proclamation, a letter written by Frederick Douglas, a printing of the Declaration of Independence, and a mimeograph of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech at the 1963 March on Washington.
“This is collaboration at its very best,” said Ali. “All these individuals, groups, and organizations working together in celebration of our freedoms, in celebration of Juneteenth, one of the best celebrations in the state of Illinois. It keeps getting bigger and better every year.”
