Thousands attend Waukegan Juneteenth celebration; ‘This is our day to … celebrate our freedom'
More than 1,000 people — many wearing clothing related to a message of freedom — lined a nearly two-mile stretch of Washington Street in Waukegan Saturday, watching bands, drill teams, dancers and other participants in Lake County's inaugural Juneteenth parade.
Dorothy Fullilove wore a shirt with a bold '1865' printed on it, signifying the year slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned they were no longer someone else's property two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery.
'It's when everyone was free,' Fullilove said. 'This is our day to remember what happened and celebrate our freedom.'
'It's great to see a lot of people out here,' added Kathryn Young. 'We're here to remember what happened long ago.'
Young and Fullilove were among the more than 1,000 people watching Lake County's inaugural Juneteenth parade, and over 3,500 participating in the Juneteenth Lake County Parade and Festival Saturday in Waukegan, celebrating the June 19 Juneteenth holiday.
Sylvia England, the founder of the African American Museum at the England Manor in Waukegan and one of the festivities' organizers, said the events were held Saturday rather than on the holiday itself to give as many people as possible an opportunity to partake. The museum's van led the parade.
'There was a lot of engagement,' England said. 'I felt like our ancestors created the path, and we literally rode down it. We had people from the very young to the very old. It was a street festival. The community could come outside and socialize.'
Becoming a local holiday five years ago when the Waukegan Park District, the city of Waukegan, Waukegan Township and Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 passed resolutions, and a national holiday the year afterwards, Juneteenth celebrations have grown in recent years.
After a countywide festival last year in North Chicago, the parade was new in 2025, as well as the selection of a Mr. Juneteenth, Truth Thurman, a 2025 Waukegan High School graduate, and Ms. Juneteenth, Jamira Johnson, a Warren Township High School sophomore.
Thurman, who will attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering in the fall, said he hopes to be an ambassador to young African Americans. He considered his selection an honor as he and Johnson rode together in a convertible in the parade.
'I want to be able to show who we are as a people,' Thurman said.
A member of the Black Student Union at Warren, Johnson said she learned of the opportunity to become Ms. Juneteenth through the organization. She submitted a video to festival organizers explaining what the opportunity would mean to her.
'Juneteenth is a special day, and I am proud to represent the young people,' she said.
Brandon Ewing, a former District 60 Board of Education president and another event organizer, said he is happy with the way the celebration of Juneteenth has grown each year in Lake County.
'This is important for culture and community to have this celebration,' he said. 'We are showcasing Black achievements and Black potential. We want this to help lead to peace in our community.'
Among the people walking in the parade was state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove. For her, the message of Juneteenth is freedom, not just the liberation of slaves, but for everyone, which brings 'resilience' to the community.
'Juneteenth is also about strength, resilience and triumph for the Black community,' she said.
Waukegan Township Supervisor Marc Jones, who walked in the parade with other township personnel, said he is happy to see the growth of the Juneteenth holiday in the city and throughout Lake County.
'This is about unity, freedom and equality,' he said. 'It is something we should all be able to enjoy.'
Anton Mathews, a member of the Park District's Board of Commissioners and its past president, marched along Washington Street as well. He is proud of the fact that the Park District was the first governmental entity to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday.
'It is a testament to the awareness of the day that so many people are now able to enjoy it,' Mathews said. 'It's about unity and freedom, something we should all enjoy.'
Starting as the parade ended was the Juneteenth Festival with 10 food trucks and 27 vendors representing merchants, other businesses and community organizations on two blocks of Genesee Street, as well as a soundstage.
People filled the streets and lined the sidewalks, partaking of not just the food trucks but refreshments offered by the restaurants and bars along the street.
Unable to attend the parade or festival this year was Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham. He was attending the U.S. Mayors Conference in Tampa, which ended Sunday. He called the decision to go there rather than celebrate with the community, 'difficult but necessary.'
'In this time of uncertain funding and rapid change, it was important to be in the room with other city leaders from across the country — sharing strategies, learning best practices, and advocating for resources that will ultimately benefit our community, including how we support and celebrate events like Juneteenth in the future,' Cunningham said in an email.
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