Happy Juneteenth, Chicago.
Today our Club joins the nation in recognizing and celebrating the oldest commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth celebrates June 19th, 1865, the day union army general Gordon Granger informed the people of Texas that all slaves had been freed. This news arrived an entire two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863.
Our Club embraces this day of emancipation as an opportunity to both celebrate and educate as we continue our pledge to combat racism and bring about positive change throughout Chicago.