From left to right Ken Davis, Darlene Brown, and host Gloria Van Hoff at opening.
It was a near
ideal Saturday afternoon on Woodstock Square for McHenry
County’s inaugural Junteenth—Freedom Day Festival. There was an excited but chill vibe as
people gathered as organizer/host Gloria Van Hof, a long time social
justice activist and first term McHenry County Board member stepped
to the mic in the Gazebo to greet the gathering crowd.
Organizing Committee Member Emily Ferguson and Rev. Norval Brown.
Rev. Norval Brown,
Lead Pastor of the Cary United Methodist Church, resplendent in a
white and gold dashiki and cap opened the proceedings with
an inspiring benediction.
Darlene Benton singing from the Woodstock Square Gazebo.
Things got cooking
when vocalist Darlene Benton performed rousing renditions of America
the Beautiful and Lift Every Voice and Sing, the song
often called the Black National Anthem.
The Old Man listens to the program from the Tree of Life U.U. Congregation information table.
Then it was time
for my small part—a brief recounting of the origins and history
of Juneteenth including a reading of the Order that set it in motion. Here is the text of those brief remarks:
Although President
Abraham Lincoln had issued his Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863
which freed enslaved persons in states and parts of states under active
rebellion in the Civil War, most of
those in the West did not hear the news until significantly later. The Union Army and Navy seized control of the
length of the Mississippi River that summer, effectively cutting the
Confederacy in two and isolating areas west of Louisiana and Arkansas.
Word did seep
through here and there, but slave owners were careful to keep the news from
their human chattel. In no place was
this truer than in and around the Texas port of Galveston, which was the last
open port in the Confederacy and an important source of revenue from exporting
cotton.
The local
African-American population was even more ignorant of the passage of the
Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which was ratified and proclaimed in
December 1865, and made slavery finally illegal in the entire United States.
All of that
changed when Major General Gordon Granger in command of the District of Texas
arrived in Galveston with a large contingent of Federal Troops. Almost immediately after securing the port
and city, Granger issued his historic General Order #3 announcing the end of
slavery and his enforcement of it.
Accounts vary as
to whether Granger, his Assistant Adjutant General, Major F. W. Emery, or some
other subordinate officer actually read the Order aloud to any assemblage. It may have simply been posted around the
city and copies sent to major local slave holders. At any rate, the word spread rapidly and there was much celebration
in the streets under the protection of the Army.
Even more
important was General Gordon’s vigorous enforcement of the order.
This is the text
of the terse order:
“The people of
Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of
the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of
rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the
connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired
laborer.”
A year later a
commemoration was held which became an annual celebration in Texas, spread to
other areas of the South, and during the Civil Rights Era all across the
country celebrating not only what became known as Juneteenth, but all of the days
of Jubilee whenever former enslaved people first heard of their liberation.
Emily Ferguson with feature Speaker Rodney Katushabe.
After a soaring
rendition of Sam Cook’s Darlene Benton accompanied by the Ken
Davis Project, Organizing Committee Member Emily Ferguson introduced
the featured speaker of the day by
McHenry County College top honor student and young entrepreneur
Rodney Katushabe. He spoke from the
unique perspective of a young Ugandan immigrant and of the obstacles
and challenges he needed to overcome.
People check out vendors and community groups and food truck on the street.
Meanwhile, folks
strolled the Square checking out the vendors and community
organization booths or visited food trucks along Van Buren Street—El
Taco Feliz, Holy Smokes BBQ, and Tropical Chill Ice Cream
Shop.
Festival organizer and host Gloria Van Hoff took time to pose with volunteers from the anti-gun violence group Moms Demand Action.
Gloria Van Hoff
and fellow McHenry County Board Member Pamela Althoff recounted how they
came together years ago to document and present the history of
the Underground Railroad here and described local sites. Next year they hope to expand Juneteenth—Freedom
Day to a two-day event including a full Underground Railroad program and
possible tour on Saturday.
Ken Davis and his
band and Darlene Benton came on with Wake Up Everybody by Harold
Melvin & the Blue Notes.
Arlene Lynes of Read Between
the Lynes Bookstore gathered children in front of the Gazebo to read a
picture book about the Juneteenth celebration in contemporary Texas.
Dee Darling, President of
Cary Elementary District #26 announced plans to raise money for and
award a scholarship for a Black student from McHenry to be
awarded next year. The scholarship will
be applicable to both college and trade school. Supporters were directed to the Juneteenth—Freedom
Day tent to sign up for information or to donate funds. Scholarship donations will soon be able to be
posted on the Juneteenth website.
It was just warm enough for people to seek out the shade to listen to the program.
Organizing Committee
member and County Board Member Lou Ness entitled her remarks I’m
Not Racist, My Best Friend is Black. She challenged the assumptions and fragility
of even the best intentioned white people and asked them to face and
acknowledge the cultural racism they have absorbed in
their lifetimes. She drew on her
experiences as an out gay person and the painful lessons she had
to learn to be a true and effective ally by following the lead of
African-Americans or any historically oppressed people.
Capping the
program was an appearance by Congressman Bill Foster who described his
family’s long time commitment to racial justice including his father,
a Justice Department attorney, who drafted many of the provisions
to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1963 and a direct ancestor
who commanded a regiment of U.S. Colored Troops in New
Orleans during the Civil War. He
also read and presented copies of his citation of the Juneteenth—Freedom Day Festival
in McHenry from the Congressional Record. He also presented handsome copies of the
document to members of the Organizing Committee. The text read as follows:
Mr. Speaker, I rise
today to recognize McHenry County’s first Juneteenth celebration, entitled
Juneteenth Freedom Day: Emancipation. Jubilation. Education. This event
commemorates June 19, 1865, the date in which federal troops arrived in
Galveston, Texas to ensure that all enslaved people be freed: coming two and a
half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth is a day
of jubilee to celebrate the end of slavery, but it also is a day to recognize
that the fight continues for equal rights and to end systemic racism. It is a
time to reflect on the struggles of African Americans, as well as an
opportunity to recognize the past and present achievements of the African
American community.
The McHenry County
celebration in Woodstock, Illinois serves as a celebration of the progress
attained by generations who fought for freedoms and rights, and as a reminder
of the work still needed to ensure a brighter, more equitable world for all
children and future generations. By featuring notable speakers, musical
performances, food, and other cultural activities, McHenry County is taking
admirable steps toward this recognition and inclusivity.
I ask you all to
join me in thanking Gloria Van Hof, Pamela Althoff, Deanna `Dee' Darling, Emily
Ferguson, Patrick Murfin, Louisett `Lou' Ness, Regina Rakoncay, Jennifarre
Urch, and many others for bringing this celebration to fruition in McHenry
County. May this be an annual
event that gains in
popularity and impact for many years to come.
—Bill Foster
Festival coverage in the Northwest Herald.
Rev. Norval Brown
returned for a benediction that reflected the joy, hope,
and sense of community and commitment inspired by the event.
The Ken Davis
Project and Darlene Benton jammed an exciting conclusion of the program.
Everyone I spoke to
was impressed and inspired by the Festival and looks forward to a
bigger and better one next year.
