Towanda Harris of Aurora said that, in some ways, Juneteenth is like Christmas in June.
“Getting together and enjoying everyone in town,” Harris said during the annual Juneteenth celebration hosted by the African American Men of Unity group at Martin Luther King Park in Aurora on Saturday. “I look forward to mingling and enjoying the food and enjoying the people. I agree that this does help everybody come together and it doesn’t matter their background or where they come from, it’s a celebration.”
Juneteenth — officially celebrated on June 19 — commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. While President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that the last enslaved African Americans were freed in Texas after the end of the Civil War.
The four-hour Juneteenth festival on Saturday offered the chance for fun, creativity and cultural connections, said Ricky Rodgers, executive director and founder of the African American Men of Unity group.
“This is the 25th year of offering the celebration and even though this didn’t become an official holiday until just a few years ago we thought it was important for us to have cultural connections,” Rodgers said. “We realize that a lot of times inspiration comes from knowing something about yourself, and so I thought Juneteenth would be an excellent source for that purpose.”
The event included music, poetry readings, storytelling and entertainment as well as a host of activities and games including Bingo, a talent show, a cake walk, a three-on-three basketball tournament and a variety of vendors.
Attendance at the annual event has grown, Rodgers said, with attendance before the pandemic hovering around 3,000 but about 6,000 coming to the festival a year ago.
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“This is becoming more popular because once this became a federal holiday, it brought an awareness to what Juneteenth is and the purpose of it, and now it’s not just celebrated by African-Americans it’s celebrated with others as well as being a very diverse celebration,” he said. “More people are aware of it and are comfortable celebrating it and everyone wants to be a part of it.”
Rodgers said he hopes the celebration helps provide “a new understanding of the African-American culture.”
“I think we are a very diverse people and, of course, society itself is very diverse and so we’re better able to interact with one another,” he said. “Sometimes, the prejudice is because of a lack of knowledge of one another’s culture.”
Senayit Aukbamichael of Aurora said she has been coming “at least 10 years to the fest,” adding that she “was very proud of organizer Ricky Rodgers.”
“He’s been doing this for 25 years without much help,” she said.
“I really support Ricky Rodgers and I’m so proud of this holiday,” she said. “It’s a celebration and I support it every year. Aurora is one of the few cities hosting this and I’m proud of the city supporting Black history.”
Sarah Griffey of Batavia said for her, “I love the word freedom and what it represents.”
“I love that we come together in unity and celebration and just remembering that everyone deserves freedom and we’re all equal and we’re all one and united,” she said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.