Ruby Scott Smith has been celebrating Juneteenth long before it became as widely known as it is today.
On Saturday, the 87-year-old danced to a drum corps and rode on a float in Garfield Park as part of the 10th annual Africa Awareness and Appreciation Parade, held in honor of Juneteenth.
The festival saw Madison Avenue decorated with black, red and green balloons and music blaring as glittering floats made their way west, with onlookers dancing and waving.
The parade is one of several Juneteenth events taking place in the city this week, commemorating June 19, 1865, when the last slaves in Texas were freed, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery.
Smith, of Naperville, walked in the parade with her daughter, Becky Smith, and friends Valerie Watkins and Sharon McFadden, a group that has been participating in the parade since its inception in 2014.
Parade participants wave from their cars during the 10th Annual African American Awareness and Appreciation Parade in Garfield Park.
“We wanted to bring the community together for something positive,” said McFadden, whose husband, the Rev. Donald McFadden, started the parade 10 years ago. “You hear so much negativity about our community, but that’s not who we are. This is who we are.”
The parade, which drew about 150 spectators Saturday, has grown in size in recent years as Juneteenth has become increasingly popular and recognized as a federal holiday.
“[Before] “People say ‘Juneteenth,'” McFadden said. Smith replied, “What’s that?”
McFadden continued: “The more we know, the more we can understand who we are as a people.”
The parade was followed by a picnic in Garfield Park, and featured dancers from the Westinghouse College Prep Goldettes, dressed in glittering gold costumes, as well as floats from historically black colleges and universities and various businesses.
Sheila Delaney, who lives along the parade route in Garfield Park, wasn’t aware there was a parade on Saturday, but the celebration caught her eye while walking outside with her 4-year-old grandson, Amir Moore.
“I said to my grandson, ‘Hey, check it out!'” she said. “It’s lovely. It reminds me of the Bud Billiken parade.”
Arthur Turner took part in the parade with his wife and two daughters, riding on the Transport Link float.
“This is a big event for our family and for our community,” he said. “People seem to really enjoy seeing the parade go down Madison Avenue every year.”
About a mile south, in Douglas Park, the Juneteenth Village Festival had begun with music, carnival rides and concessions. Under white tents, attendees pored over T-shirts and jewelry and browsed the food selection as they waited for the music to begin.
“I’m just here for the music, the food and the vendors. It’s a good time for families to get together and the weather is great,” said attendee Jahan Randolph. “I’m happy to be black.”
Jahan Randolph will be attending the Juneteenth Village Festival in Douglas Park on Saturday.
Many attendees said they were using the celebration as an opportunity to reflect on black history and educate younger generations about the realities of race in America. Rendell Solomon, who runs a nonprofit that provides equity to young people and gave a TedX talk called “From Shareholder to Shareholder,” brought his 2-year-old daughter, Savannah, with him. Solomon said he wanted his daughter to not only take part in the celebration, but also learn about her ancestors who worked in Mississippi’s cotton fields during the Jim Crow era.
“This little kid probably doesn’t know anything about being in a field picking cotton because of the struggle,” he said. “It’s not exactly what my grandma experienced, but it’s still an injustice.”
Rendell, Danielle and Savannah Solomon will be attending the Juneteenth Village Festival at Douglas Park on Saturday.
He said these festivals are an easy way to enjoy the summer and relax, while also being a springboard for conversations about race and history. The Solomons plan to attend as many Juneteenth-related events as they can.
“Without this festival, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Solomon said.
Randolph and her friend, NJ Williams, tried to strike a balance between celebration and reflection.
“This is another opportunity to re-examine lessons to kids that they might not be able to learn in school,” Williams said. “They get to celebrate and it stays in the community.”
Randolph added, “When you think about the history of this country and the world, being black is something that should always be celebrated. It comes with a lot of pain that lingers for generations. We can turn those tears into smiles.”
