Organizers In Champaign County Prepare For Juneteenth
CHAMPAIGN – Organizers throughout Champaign County say Juneteenth is about history, but also about bringing attention to systemic issues that the African American community still faces. Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, is also now an official state holiday, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation on Wednesday. Rantoul resident Debbra Sweat was having coffee with […]
‘Juneteenth’ Becomes Official State Holiday
SPRINGFIELD – The day that marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when some of the last enslaved Americans learned that they had been freed is now an official state holiday in Illinois. At a bill signing ceremony in front of a signed copy of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Gov. JB Pritzker signed House […]
Illinois General Assembly Passes Hundreds of Bills As Session End Approaches
SPRINGFIELD — The state Senate and House passed more than 750 bills between them last week, addressing isolated timeouts in schools, youth vaping, teaching Muslim history, the commemoration of Juneteenth and automatic voter registration in prisons, among other topics. Friday was the deadline for the General Assembly to pass bills out of each chamber, for […]
Juneteenth Could Become A State Holiday
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois could have a new state holiday commemorating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people were freed. A state senate committee Wednesday approved making June 19 Juneteenth National Freedom Day. State Sen. Kimberly Lightford, a Democrat from Maywood, sponsored the bill, which would create a paid holiday for state employees. She said the day […]
C-U Commemorates Juneteenth With Peace Walk, Celebration
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign-Urbana residents celebrated Juneteenth on Friday afternoon with a peaceful march and a small festival in Beardsley Park. Juneteenth is celebrated every year on June 19th, and commemorates the day in 1865 when some of the last enslaved people in the Confederacy were emancipated. HV Neighborhood Transformation (HVNT) organized the inaugural Juneteenth event, […]
Danville Juneteenth Celebration Promises History Lesson And A Party
There will be food, music, dancing and a serving of history, Danville’s Juneteenth Celebration, which runs from 5 to 8 PM on Friday, June 19, at Lincoln Park (1000 N. Logan Ave.). A Facebook page for the event is linked here. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when word of the Emancipation Proclamation formally came to […]
News Around Illinois – June 18, 2020
Pritzker Announces Rent Support And Business Relief Fund CHICAGO (AP) — Illinoisans struggling to pay mortgages and rent and small businesses, all impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, will have access to $900 million in grants, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday. According to state officials, $150 million of the funds, to be administered by the Illinois […]