217 Today: The complex landscape of Juneteenth emotions within the Black community

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A state marker in Galveston, Texas, notes where Union army general Gordon Granger read federal orders on June 19, 1865 proclaiming that all enslaved persons in the state of Texas were now free.
  • Photo: City of Galveston, Texas

Friday, June 16, 2023

Today’s headlines: 

  • Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed a law limiting constitutional challenges to Cook or Sangamon County.
  • Indigenous farmers in the Midwest are sharing their knowledge about regenerative agriculture.
  • After shootings and car crashes at a pop-up party on Sunday left 9 injured, Champaign considers how to prevent future violence.
  • Some in the Black community feel that the designation of Juneteenth as a federal and state holiday has caused it to lose some of its weight.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about how members of the Black community feel about Juneteenth — which was declared a federal holiday in 2021.

Reporting today contributed by Alex Degman, Eva Tesfaye, Emily Hays and Owen Henderson.

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Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.