Commemorating Juneteenth
Friends of the Chicago River supports our partners at Openlands with community paddles along the African American Heritage Water Trail.
Juneteenth honors the historic and ongoing struggle for Black liberation by commemorating June 19, 1865, the day federal troops told enslaved peoples in Texas that they were free, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This now federally recognized holiday calls on us to reflect on the history and legacy of racial oppression and to work collectively towards just futures.
Understanding the intersectional nature of racial and environmental justice, Friends of the Chicago River celebrates Juneteenth by amplifying incredible local efforts to uplift communities and steward natural ecosystems across the city of Chicago and Chicago-Calumet River watershed.
More information about ways to celebrate Juneteenth is available here.
