Macomb, IL – Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when the last of the American slaves learned of their freedom. The day is now celebrated across the country.
Macomb's Fifth Annual Juneteenth was organized by the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center. The event drew a late afternoon crowd to Chandler Park for free food, music, and speeches.
The food included jerk chicken and black beans and rice. Hot dogs, watermelon, and ice cream were also available. All of the food was dished out by volunteers and was free thanks to donations from local businesses.
The opening prayer included a call for unity in the community. Other speakers urged people to break out of cliques and introduce themselves to someone new during Juneteenth.
Reporter Joseph Roderick covered the event. You can listen to his story by clicking on the audio button.
Additional information:
*The website www.juneteenth.com says Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. The site says Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were now free.
*The news reached Galveston more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The Juneteenth website says there are different explanations for the delay. One story says a messenger was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another says the news was deliberately withheld by the enslavers to maintain the labor force on plantations.