Juneteenth celebration brings communities together in Beverly, Morgan Park
CHICAGO (CBS) -- From the North Shore to the South Side, the Chicago area is celebrating Juneteenth.
The official holiday is Monday, but several celebrations happened Saturday.
Juneteenth marks the day the last slaves were freed on June 19, 1865, after word of emancipation finally reached Texas.
CBS 2's Noel Brennan stopped by one festival that brought together communities in Beverly and Morgan Park.
As Janelle Steven worked on her painting at the festival, she and her brush just went with the flow. She didn't know what her finished painting would look like, but she knew how she wanted it to feel.
"Honestly, I have no idea, but I'm figured it out as a go along," she said. "I want it to be celebratory."
It was a piece to match the mood in Morgan Park on a Saturday afternoon.
"It's just pure joy, happiness," she said.
Shanya Gray co-founded and organizes the annual event.
"In a diverse community we didn't fully embrace diversity," she said. "We need to embrace all the cultures that are here, and we need to also recognize and celebrate African and African American heritage and culture."
She figured a festival was a good place to start.
"Juneteenth to me is a step in the right direction that we recognize and appreciate all of American history, including the bad. We acknowledge what has happened, and we celebrate how far we've come."
She hopes people old and young soak in the celebration.
"This is my son, my youngest one," she said. "I want him to feel embraced and loved, and I want him to also understand and appreciate his history and heritage."
Here in Chicago, the community united around music, dance and art.
"Rejuvenating, honestly," said Steven. "It's so nice to see all these beautiful faces out here and everyone just supporting each other and hanging out, so it's really good."
It's the kind of feeling that can inspire an artist to create something just as beautiful.
"We come together in moments like this just to celebrate each other," said Steven.
When the event started in 2019, about 300 people showed up. The crowds have grown year after year. Organizers say last year more than 2,000 people turned out to celebrate.
