Chicago's Du Sable Black History Museum and Education Center is celebrating Juneteenth with a full day of programming, including art, music, games and speaking programs,
First, the history, dating to 1865.
"Juneteenth really commemorates when the enslaved people in Texas were notified that slavery had ended," said the museum's President and CEO Perri Irmer. "Unfortunately that didn't happen for them until two-and-a-half years after the original proclamation."
The Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves.
Irmer said Juneteenth is a day of celebration, but also of reflection.
"Reflection on what freedom really means, especially in the world we're living in at this moment," she said. "It's extremely important and extremely impactful to understand that freedom isn't free, that a democracy has to be preserved, that the struggle continues."
She said "although technically we are not enslaved any longer in this country, there is still economic disparity, there is still legal disparity, there is still far too much racism and discrimination and an attempt at re-writing our history, either to erase it or to re-tell it in ways that simply aren't factual and aren't true."
Du Sable Black History Museum and Education Center
Irmer said while her days of marching are behind her, she's encouraged that so many young people are taking up the struggle.
She's optimistic they'll get there.
The museum's celebration was scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
