Juneteenth in Joliet: Making the holiday bigger

Joliet — Juneteenth is getting more recognition, and it’s about time for the many African Americans gathering to celebrate.

A Juneteenth celebration at the Joliet Area Historical Museum on Sunday was one of several such local events over the weekend and Monday, the actual day of Juneteenth.

“I just want to come out and celebrate, feel the vibe, get a bit of entertainment and pay homage to my ancestors,” Twana Grayson of Joliet said while enjoying the event on the museum’s roof.

Grayson said she’s always known the significance of Juneteenth and described its growing recognition as “amazing.”

I just want to come out and celebrate, feel the vibe, get a bit of entertainment, and pay homage to my ancestors.”

—  Twana Grayson

“I think it should have been done years ago,” she said. “I’m glad to see things coming around. I pray that it continues.”

The museum celebration was put together by Jermissia Evans of Joliet and her friend Isha Amor of Maywood.

Evans, 23, said she learned early in life about Juneteenth from her grandfather and parents who “really pushed me to stay on my books and learn my history.” But she said general awareness of Juneteenth still is lacking. Finding Juneteenth decorations in stores to use for the Sunday celebration was almost impossible.

“A lot of things are hidden in history, and we don’t really know about them,” Evans said.

Juneteenth commemorates the June 19, 1865, proclamation by a Union Army general who arrived in Texas and ordered the freedom of more than 250,000 slaves still held captive in the state. The order came a little more than two months after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox to end the Civil War and almost three years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

While Juneteenth has been commemorated since the 19th century by many African Americans, it’s had little mainstream recognition until recent years. It became a federal holiday in 2021, and Will County also recognizes Juneteenth as a county holiday.

Giving the day official holiday status “means the start of real change,” said Rashe “RocSmoov” Waters, a hip hop performer from Chicago who was at the museum celebration. “To me, that says the government is trying to recognize the Black diaspora as much as they’re recognizing everyone else.”

Bringing Juneteenth more into the open also increases recognition by Black Americans, many of whom did not know about it, said Clarissa Morris of Joliet. “It’s making us aware of our ancestors. So much has been hidden from us.”

While Juneteenth merchandising may not have made it into big-box stores yet, some of the 20 vendors at the museum event had items to commemorate the day.

“I put these together to remind us of Juneteenth and our freedom,” Johnetta Stokes said as she showed a bracelet made especially for the day by her Goddis Awareness Bracelets. “In fact, I call them freedom bracelets.”

The event also included music, poetry and dance to celebrate African American culture.

“We’re here to empower Juneteenth,” said Amor, Evans’ partner in putting on the event. “We want to make Juneteenth a big holiday.”