Speaker of the Illinois House Emanuel “Chris” Welch is bringing back his annual Juneteenth Celebration. The free event will be a day of family fun, featuring a range of performances, guest appearances, and local vendors selling food, art, and other items.
“The importance of celebrating Juneteenth is as important as it’s ever been,” said Speaker Welch, “As extremists in Washington and across our nation work to erase Black History, we must not only push back in the statehouse, we must also continue to come together with love, joy and understanding, which is exactly what this annual celebration is all about.”
The event boasts over 60 local vendors and a host of community sponsors, including: PepsiCo, Iron Workers Local 63, IBEW 9, Meridian Health, Rainbow Cone, ABDI, and the Fraternal Order of Police.
Featured performers include the Jesse White Tumblers, Simone Green, 1 Soul 1 Tribe, Muntu Dance Theatre, and the Proviso West High School Marching Band. Featured guests include Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Comptroller Susana Mendoza, Treasurer Mike Frerichs, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, Sheriff Tom Dart, and many more. There will also be free haircuts by James Blakes the Barber.
Juneteenth celebrates and honors African Americans’ journey to freedom in America. June 19, 1865, was the day word reached the enslaved in Galveston, Texas, that their emancipation had been made formal, though it had been so since January 1, 1863. That news changed the world for the better.
The free Juneteenth Celebration will take place on Thursday, June 19th, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Memorial Park District [639 N. Wolf Road in Hillside] behind Adventure Bay Pool. Adventure Bay Poll will be closed during the time of the event. For questions, email democraticpartyofproviso@gmail.com.
* Zoom in on the photo of Speaker Welch and Chicago FOP Lodge 7 President John Catanzara…
- @misterjayem - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 9:11 am:
“Some of my best friends are Speaker of the Illinois House”
– MrJM
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 9:20 am:
The tiny robots in the COVID vaccine made me do it.
- Ukrainian Usurper - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 9:22 am:
“I’m with stupid”
- Woodstock willy - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 9:44 am:
The only picture that could top this would be Catanzara and Mayor Johnson in a group hug.
- Lurker - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 9:48 am:
“What old guy wears his hat backwards, doesn’t know his shirt size, and seemingly doesn’t own a razor. This guy!”
- Calling a Joker a Joker. - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 10:11 am:
“The $50,000 photo-op.”
- The 5th Beatle - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 10:16 am:
Ebony and Ivory
- Streator Curmudgeon - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 10:20 am:
Welch: “Who thinks the Godfather of Soul was Marlon Brando?”
- CA-HOON - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 10:22 am:
“Look at this chump who thinks a few selfies from a party thrown by people he openly hates will rehab all the awfulness he has done.”
- Dirty Red - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 11:39 am:
Not a contest entry. Just a note that this is really, really cool to see, especially in the wake of recent events. A lot of pre-Rauner Statehouse types talked this spring about when competing political teams used to meet up at the end of the day (agreed, by the way. We need more of those safe spaces at the state level to keep ourselves from losing our humanity. Those exchanges also made for more substantive debate, as opposed to over-hyped talking points). This seems like one of those opportunities.
- Frida’s boss - Friday, Jun 20, 25 @ 12:39 pm:
Pension enhancements bringing people together.