Highland Park Mayor Declares Juneteenth National Freedom Day

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering declared Friday to be Juneteenth National Freedom Day. The June 19 holiday, also known as Emancipation Day or Jubilee Day, marks the moment in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas.

Abraham Lincoln's wartime Emacipation Proclamation had not been enforced in Texas for the two years prior. So when Granger brought news of the end of the Civil War two months after the surrender of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, he effectively freed a quarter-million enslaved African Americans. State-sanctioned slavery would continue in other parts of the country until the passage of the 13th Amendment in December 1865.

Friday's holiday is the oldest and most recognized observance of African American history in the United States. Today, it today the freedom and achievements of African Americans throughout the country's history, according to the mayor's proclamation.

"Juneteenth completes the cycle of freedom for America's Independence Day observances, recognizing that until we are all free, none of us are free," Rotering said.

Rotering noted that about 11.5 million African Americans survived the brutal journey across the Atlantic Ocean packed into slave ships headed to the New World. Far more are thought to have died. Those that did not were subject to 240 years of enslavement.

"[T]hey and their descendants still have not yet experienced full freedom for over 400 years, with many people failing to recognize that reality," she said.

Juneteenth 2020 has been the subject of increased attention than in previous years, in part because of weeks of nationwide Black Lives Matter demonstrations calling for equal justice under the law and an end to police violence that disproportionately targets the American descendants of slaves. Rotering's proclamation appears to be the first time the city of Highland Park has officially marked the date.

"Juneteenth is particularly poignant this year as our nation grapples with its history of racism. The important work of deconstructing structural racism must be prioritized throughout our nation and is a priority for how we live, work, and play in Highland Park,” Rotering said in a statement. “Our heightened awareness has already created a more open dialogue about the strides we need to make to achieve racial equality. I encourage residents to use this occasion to learn more about Juneteenth, its history, and consider the ways each of us can make a difference not just on this day but each day going forward.”

In her declaration, Rotering urged all residents to reflect on "this historic occassion by reading the Emancipation Proclamation, singing or listening to 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' and 'Lift Every Voice and Sing,' and exploring history to learn more about the contributions of American Americans to the American dream and way of life."

At 4 p.m. Friday, the National Association for the Advance of Colored People is hosting the online Black Family Reunion event to honor those that have died in the past year, support the movement for civil rights and take pride in African American heritage. The livestreamed event will feature civil rights leaders, celebrities and other public figures.

A week later, on June 25, the Baha'i Community of Highland Park plans to host an online neighborhood conversation about racial and social justice. Author Joy DeGruy has been invited to deliver a 60 minute address, which is due to be followed by an hourlong panel also featuring a Glencoe rabbi, a Northbrook therapist, the equity director at District 113 and the chief of Highland Park police.