Juneteenth/Black Lives Matter March Set For Friday

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States, will be the backdrop of a special event Friday in Buffalo Grove. Black Lives Matter organizers are holding a two-part peaceful event consisting of a march and speeches. Participants in the march will meet at 3 p.m. at the Buffalo Grove Fitness Center, 601 W Deerfield Parkway.

Organizers say the march will lead to the Willow Stream Park pavilion, where participants will convene to share speeches and poetry. Those not looking to march can meet directly at the Willow Stream Park pavilion at 3:45 p.m. to listen as presenters share speeches and poetry. The field at Willow Stream Park pavilion is large enough to accommodate social distancing requirements, according to organizers.

• What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday
  

The Buffalo Grove Police Department has been informed of the event, and is working with organizers to ensure the safety of all participants.

"We should be celebrating Juneteenth, but it’s difficult to celebrate when the legacy of slavery is maintained by the overpolicing of low-income and predominately minority communities, the mass incarceration of people of color, the school-to-prison pipeline, and many other institutional injustices," organizers state in a press release.

"Systematic racism runs deep in our country, and it has fostered instances of police brutality that have killed precious and innocent lives such as George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other black men, women, and children."

Masks are required. Signs are encouraged. A peaceful event is our priority.

(A flyer for Friday's event).

• 'Meaningful' Buffalo Grove Protest Ends Without Incident
• Buffalo Grove Police Chief Issues Statement On Death Of George Floyd