A Juneteenth celebration in the Pullman neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side will be “painting the hood orange” on Monday, June 19.
The color orange represents the national anti-gun violence movement and the event’s mission of violence prevention.
The event, the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum’s Juneteenth Community Recommitment Celebration, is one of many taking place in neighborhoods across Chicago to celebrate Juneteenth.
Chicagoans will observe Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans, on Monday, June 19. Festivals, performances and other events will take place on the holiday and the weekend leading up to it.
The “Paint the Hood Orange” event is the museum’s 11th annual Juneteenth celebration. The day’s events will include a youth basketball tournament, block party and parade.
All events are free of charge, according to the museum. The day of festivities will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, June 19, with a parade that leads into the block party and basketball tournament, the release states.
The museum says over 500 participants have already signed up for the basketball tournament, which will be held at Corliss High School and Butler College Prep. The tournament is sponsored by Wintrust.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. In 2020, the Chicago City Council passed a resolution to recognize the holiday, and in 2021, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared Juneteenth a paid city holiday, just days before it was federally recognized.
The holiday is observed on the date news of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved people in Texas in 1865.
On the West Side, Douglass Park will host the second annual Juneteenth Village Fest on Sunday, June 18. The event is free and runs from noon to 8 p.m.
The event will feature musical performances by Angie Stone, Marsha Ambrosius and more, food vendors, community-based organizations and carnival rides, according to its website.
Markets featuring Black-owned businesses will take place across Chicago over the weekend and on Juneteenth. Hyde Park will host the Thank You Chicago Juneteenth Market at the Promontory on June 19 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring vendors, food and music.
Nearby at the University of Chicago, the Logan Center for the Arts will stage a production of “1619: The Journey of a People, The Musical.” After the musical, which follows Black history in America starting with the arrival of the first enslaved Africans, there will be a panel discussion. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com.
The city of Chicago’s website spotlights 1865 Fest, a three-day festival that will take place in Garfield Park starting Friday, June 16.
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, as well as Juneteenth, next weekend at its third annual community barbecue. The free event will take place all day Monday, June 19, and will feature a discussion with hip-hop artist Kool Moe Dee.