Submitted by the City of Evanston and the Evanston Public Library
In partnership with Evanston Present and Future, the City of Evanston will honor Juneteenth with the fourth annual Juneteenth Parade and Celebrations on Saturday, June 17.
Juneteenth, also referred to as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americas and is observed every year on June 19. This federal holiday serves as a celebration, remembrance and reflection.
Parade starts at 10:30 a.m.
The Juneteenth celebrations will begin at 10:30 a.m. as Evanston Present and Future presents the annual Juneteenth Parade, beginning in the parking lot of the Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main St., and ending at Ingraham Park, located behind the Morton Civic Center. View parade information here.
The parade will include performances by the South Shore Drill Team and the Jesse White Tumblers along with floats, walking groups, marching bands and cars.
Register to participate in the parade or find out how to become a sponsor.
Celebration from noon to 6 p.m.
Following the parade, community members are invited to join in for an afternoon of art, music, food and speakers at Ingraham Park, just west of the Morton Civic Center, beginning at noon.
Performance at 2:30 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m. there will be a performance of 1619: The Journey of a People, The Musical in Ingraham Park. The musical, written by Ted Williams III, commemorates the arrival of the first 20 Africans on the shores of Point Comfort, Virginia, on Aug. 20, 1619. Three modern characters lead audience on a journey through multiple performance pieces, leaving viewers both inspired and challenged about the progress of African Americans.
This production uses various musical forms, including hip-hop, jazz and blues to commemorate the struggle for survival and equality and to celebrate the stories and journeys of America’s African sons and daughters.
The musical will be performed by 3rd Dimension Performance Group and is presented in partnership with Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre, Evanston Public Library and Evanston Township High School.
For more information, call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents in Evanston may simply dial 311.