Dominican Celebrates Juneteenth

Dominican University marked Juneteenth several days ahead of the national holiday with a community barbecue and gathering on campus on June 13.

Marjorie Adam Clark, founder and executive director of the West Communities Juneteenth Collaborative, addressed those gathered on the Quad with a rousing message about storytelling and how stories are the “bedrock of our collective identity."

“Celebrating Juneteenth as more than just a holiday affords us opportunities to redefine our shared future and to draft a new story towards racial healing, beginning from within,” she said. “Only together can we create a new story of hope, of empathy, of curiosity, of support, of love, recognizing that progress is not a zero-sum game, but a shared goal that enriches all of us.”

Later, Dr. Danielle Walker, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the village of Oak Park, delivered the day’s keynote address, mixing humor with thoughtful dialogue on the history and lessons of Juneteenth, the attempts taking place today to remove DEI practices in many states, and how individuals can draw from Juneteenth to “forge a path of racial justice during turbulent times.”

“You are right where you need to be to make change,” she noted.

The Juneteenth Traveling Museum, sponsored by the West Communities Juneteenth Collaborative, was also available to view on the Quad. One of the featured historical stories was that of Nance Legins-Costley, a young woman born into indentured servitude in Illinois who fought for her freedom before the Illinois Supreme Court in 1841.

Juneteenth commemorates the day when enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom on June 19, 1865—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth celebrations date back to the 19th Century, but in 2021 the day gained new, added prominence when it was designated a federal holiday.

Dominican University’s Juneteenth celebration was hosted by the Office of Justice, Equity and Inclusion, Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation, and the Center for Cultural Liberation.