Celebrate Juneteenth at UChicago and around Hyde Park

Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, will once again be celebrated through various events organized by the University of Chicago community and supported by the Office of the Provost Diversity & Inclusion.

On June 19, 1865, “General Orders No. 3” were read in Galveston, Texas, bringing news of freedom to enslaved people—more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Today, Juneteenth remains both a day of celebration and a reminder of ongoing struggles for racial justice.

Looking for ways to celebrate? Below are events at UChicago and around Hyde Park held throughout June and beyond that recognize the important holiday.

Have an event you’d like us to add? Contact us at news-office@uchicago.edu.

Ongoing

Go on an ISAC Museum Juneteenth tour

Visit the ISAC Museum on UChicago’s campus to take a self-guided tour exploring the engagement of Black artists, historians and intellectuals with the ancient world.

Download the ISAC app or pick up a brochure at the museum to discover the work of artists like Edmonia Lewis, Drusilla Dunjee Houston and Robert Seldon Duncanson.

The tour will be available beginning June 15.

Through June 16

See a play about civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael
Get tickets for the final week of Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution at UChicago’s Tony Award- winning Court Theatre. Written by Nambi E. Kelley and directed by Tasia A. Jones, the play tells the true story of civil rights activist Kwame Ture, born Stokely Carmichael.

Final performance June 16.

June 18

Immerse yourself in the history of Juneteenth
Attend Freedom’s Echoes: An Immersive Juneteenth Celebration at the Eckhardt Research Center Atrium (5640 S Ellis Ave.). Starting at 10 a.m., explore interactive displays throughout the day that bring the history, culture and impact of Juneteenth to life.

At 3 p.m., members of the UChicago community are invited to attend a presentation and discussion on the historical and contemporary relevance of Juneteenth.

Event hosted by PME Administrative and Operational Team, PME Committee on Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion and National Society of Black Engineers at UChicago.

Attend a Juneteenth Lunch and Learn

Join Language Pedagogy Specialist Déja Motley for a Juneteenth “Lunch and Learn” event in Cobb Hall. From 10:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., learn and discuss the history of Juneteenth, create paintings with Afro aesthetics and enjoy a free soul food lunch.

Event organized by the English Language Institute at the University of Chicago

Celebrate at UChicago’s Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture
All members of the UChicago community are welcome to attend the Juneteenth Celebration Meet & Greet hosted by BIA, Black Men Engaged, POC and Nappy Hour. From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. drop by the Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture (5733 South University Ave.) to enjoy music, food and great company.

June 19

Learn to knit with the Committed Knitters
Join UChicago's Arts + Public Life and the Committed Knitters from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on The Arts Lawn (337 E. Garfield Blvd.) for a fun-filled knit fest celebrating Juneteenth. Free and open to all, learn knitting and crocheting, and connect with other crafting enthusiasts. Newcomers and skilled stitchers are welcome. Snacks, drinks, special giveaways, yarn and needles provided.

Founded in 2008, the Committed Knitters meet weekly to knit or crochet items for personal use and to donate to local and international groups. They are currently making baby items for the Marillac St. Vincent Project Hope’s Doula Program.

Celebrate at the DuSable Black History Museum
Attend The DuSable Museum’s (740 E. 56th Pl.) Annual Juneteenth Celebration. From 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., engage with science and technology, enjoy live music, food, shop from over 80 Chicago businesses, visit exhibits and more.

Support Black-owned businesses at The Promontory
Shop at the Juneteenth Thank You Chicago Market at the Promontory (5311 South Lake Park Avenue West). The free pop up market will feature 30 black-owned businesses and on-site food vendors.

Bring the family to the South Side YMCA
Bring family, friends and neighbors to the South Side YMCA (6330 S. Stony Island Ave.) for their annual Juneteenth Community Event from 12 to 4 p.m. This free event is sponsored by the University of Chicago’s Office of the Provost and will feature youth STEAM activities, family games, music, food, community vendors and more.

Attendees are encouraged to bring grills and coolers.

June 20

Learn about the history of Bid Whist
Attend a talk with Lamont Jones, author of The Gist of Bid Whist: The Culturally-Rich Game from Black America. Stop by Stuart Hall, Room 104 (5835 South Greenwood Ave.) from 2 to 4 p.m. to trace the game’s roots from the era of slavery to the present day.

June 22

Attend a community resource fair celebrating Black sexual health
Visit Liberating Love: A Juneteenth Celebration of Black Sexual Health at The Village, Suite 310 (1525 E. 55th St.) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for expression workshops, panel discussions, vendors, food and more.

Sundays, July 14 - Aug 18

Attend a Black independent film and discussion series
This July and August, stop by the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Room 201 on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. for a free film and discussion series celebrating Black independent cinema. Between chameleons and cowboys, sermons and soliloquies, intimacy and deception, SCREENING ACTS explores the politics of performance through six Black independent films that collectively ask: if it's all an act, what role will you play?

A catered, group discussion will follow each screening. Free and open to all!

SCREENING ACTS Schedule:

7/14: CHAMELEON STREET (Wendell B. Harris, Jr., 1989)
7/21: BODY AND SOUL (Oscar Micheaux, 1925)
7/28: BUCK AND THE PREACHER (Sidney Poitier, 1972)
8/4: BAMBOOZLED (Spike Lee, 2000)
8/11: JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE I.R.T. (Leslie Harris, 1992)
8/18: LOSING GROUND (Kathleen Collins, 1982)

SCREENING ACTS is brought to you by the Digital Storytelling Initiative at the Logan Center for the Arts, in collaboration with the Film Studies Center at the University of Chicago.

Funding and support for several of these events was provided by the Office of the Provost Diversity & Inclusion 2024 Juneteenth Fund.