Public Project
Juneteenth Celebration-Flossmore, Illinois
Juneteenth was officially recognized as a city holiday on June 14th, 2021 by then Mayor Lori Lightfoot. In declaring the day a city holiday Lightfoot said: “I, like many others, didn’t even know anything about Juneteenth until I was an adult. And that’s because it has never been treated with the reverence that it should be. If you look at the ... history books that are used to teach our children, you may only see a passing reference, if at all. We must change that. Juneteenth deserves more than a passing mention in a textbook or headline. Here in Chicago, we are taking an important step forward to ensure Juneteenth receives its proper recognition. So ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to announce that, starting next year, the city of Chicago will officially recognize Juneteenth as a city holiday to fully honor its history and legacy.”
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.
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