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Juneteenth Celebrations Energized – Not Hindered – By Pandemic And Rash Of Police Killings

The Juneteenth flag, commemorating the day that slavery ended in the U.S., flies in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, June 17, 2020.
AP Photo/Nati Harnik
The Juneteenth flag, commemorating the day that slavery ended in the U.S., flies in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, June 17, 2020.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-recognized celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. But the unofficial holiday feels different this year, given the COVID-19 pandemic and a rash of high-profile police murders.

That's according to Spanky Edwards with the Peoria Peace & Nonviolence Leadership Institute, which is organizing some of this year’s observances.

“Black people have become more free in an international pandemic, if that makes any sense,” he said. “We’ve never seen police officers be fired so quickly and be charged with murder for killing unarmed black free American citizens.”

Edwards said organizers will use this moment to call for action, as well as foster community.

“That elephant in the room has never been seriously addressed,” he said. “Policing — and how they treat black people and how they treat poor people — has been an unfair practice that’s been allowed to persist for over 100 years. This year, we’re holding our elected officials and the police unions accountable.”

Credit Spanky Edwards / Facebook
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Facebook

Celebrations start Friday at noon at the Peoria RiverPlex. At 1 p.m., a second line march will lead people by foot and in cars to Martin Luther King Jr. Park for a Juneteenth Block Party.

On Saturday, a Juneteenth worship service starts at 10 a.m.

“We’re asking our local pastors, preachers, singers, and congregants to come out and participate,” Edwards said. “We’ll ask these people to bring a photo of a loved one that they’ve lost and we’re going to make a memorial wall.”

A tailgate will commence at 1 p.m., Edwards said, during which time Peoria’s black elders will share reflections on the community.

“We’re going to ask them to tell a little bit about the history of Peoria and some of its icons, like John Gwynn,” he said. “John Gwynn was the president of the NAACP in Peoria and was responsible for desegregating so many office buildings — Caterpillar, the water company. Peoria was the second bus that went to the March on Washington, that was because of John Gwynn.”

He said there will also be an opportunity for activists, elected officials, and other community leaders to discuss plans for the city.

“We would love to open the floor for a conversation about ‘where do we go from here?’” he said. "How do we use our collective resources to create a better experience for black people in Peoria?”

The rest of the festivities will look a lot like a normal tailgate, Edwards said, with some modifications in place to slow the potential spread of infection.

“Because of COVID-19, we’re asking our people to bring their own food,” he said. “They can bring their own grills, tents, and chairs, because we want to decrease the unknowns of hand-to-hand interactions.”

Credit Southside Community Center / Facebook
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Facebook

Separately, a community block cleaning, worship, and fellowship gathering will be held at the Southside Community Center on Saturday, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. The event kicks off at 10:30 a.m. It’s a joint effort of the South Side Mission, Peoria Area Visitors and Convention Bureau, and a pastoral collaboration called Kingdom Life.

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Dana Vollmer is a reporter with WGLT. Dana previously covered the state Capitol for NPR Illinois and Peoria for WCBU.