Juneteenth 2018: For the love of Black History and Business

This year I decided to take a personal day off on Juneteenth, or June 19th. It is the official yet under-recognized independence day for African Americans. Juneteenth is also the oldest celebration of slave liberation in the United States. Since the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in April 1865, some white slave owners in Texas didn’t share that freedom news with their African slaves.

It wasn’t until June 19th that they were told that they were emancipated; they no longer had to be slaves. To me that means a lot more than the independence day of our country, which is traditionally celebrated on July 4th. The first July 4th was in 1776, nearly a century before slavery was abolished. Therefore my people were not free then, a day that was so called about freedom. Even in my little ounces of “wokeness,” I feel less enthusiastic celebrating July 4th because of the history. So now I and other African Americans are getting in the spirit of this national holiday, Juneteenth in other regions, especially the northern states like Illinois where I live.

My day off (paid time off is a blessing) consisted of supporting African American businesses and ideas:

First was the inaugural Juneteenth Black Business Breakfast hosted by Marseil “Action” Jackson and partners to acknowledge Black owned businesses in the Chicago area. We had our state governor read a proclamation declaring June 19th as “Juneteenth Day” in the state. 2019 mayoral candidate Dr. Willie Wilson was there to greet the business owners and future entrepreneurs. WVON host Maze Jackson served as co-host and brought up a valid question that our community must get answers from any politician, no matter the political party: what’s in it for the Black people?

Long gone are the election cycles where we vote for one party based off of tradition and continue to not get what we need from our public servants. We should discern and question who will be best to fit our needs, not just vote for whoever looks or sounds like they are for us.

After that event I headed downtown for the Black Owned Chicago trolley tour. Every Tuesday this month, Black Owned Chicago, founded by blogger sis Tanikia Carpenter, hosts locals and tourists alike on a one of a kind trolley tour in the South Side of Chicago. I live on the South Side and I didn’t know half of the history shared on the tour.

We visited several gems in the Bronzeville, Hyde Park and surrounding neighborhoods including the DuSable Museum, homes of African American history makers and artists, and other landmarks including churches and mosques. I finally got to see former President Barack Obama’s house! We also got treats from local sponsors. I and the diverse group that was with me on the trolley seemed to have a great time. If you can make it, there may be tickets left for the tours on June 26th in Chicago.

After a recharge at home I went to Litehouse Whole Food Grill, a Black owned restaurant in Hyde Park for their jerk salmon wrap. Not only did we get a coupon to patronize this business from the Black Owned Chicago tour, this eatery also gives back. They gladly prepare meals for the homeless who walk in the business! Be sure to support their delicious cause, with a new location open in the South Loop.

My final Juneteenth moment was celebrating career development and fellowship with my fellow African American coworkers for a Juneteenth mixer. It was the perfect time to kick our our job’s resource group, which has the goal of equipping employees for advancement within the organization. I work in a organization where I’m a minority, so it’s important that we have the resources we need to navigate through our careers with support and mentorship, and give that back to others.

So that was my Juneteenth this year. Being away from work for a day, even in the middle of the week, helped me see how important the day is and how I can make the most of it while supporting the culture.

What would you do on Juneteenth next year? Share in the comments below!