Juneteenth: Celebrating and Honoring a Heritage

2016 Juneteenth celebration in Evanston

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is a day of celebration or… jubilation. A day filled with: Entertainment, recreation, reflection on education and self-improvement, guest speakers and prayer services. A time where we recognize and honor our elders. . .and our youth.

But lets think back for a moment here and reflect on how Juneteenth came about. Imagine with me if you may:

June 19^th, 1865. Union soldiers arrived at Galveston, Texas with news for the community: The war had ended and that all who were enslaved are now free. Keep in mind that this news arrived two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863.

Slavery was allowed in Southern Illinois

Union enforcement in Texas was negligible and was unable to enforce the Executive order until after the surrender of General Lee in April 1865 and stronger Union forces arriving in Texas. Read to the people of Texas was General Order Number 3, which began with:

“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”

The reactions to this news ranged from shock to immediate jubilation. With nowhere to go, former enslaved Blacks choices were few; remaining where they were or migrate to other parts of the country – as – free – people.

Many families migrated to the North Shore directly from the south and from Canada immediately after the Civil War. And to think, Illinois was almost a slave state. Before 1865, one could not really be a “free person of color” in Illinois as the Black Codes were in effect that kept a person of color as a registered indentured person. Slavery was allowed in Southern Illinois.¹

Violetta Cullen delivering the speech

I think about Maria Murray, Daniel Garnett and Hettie Corn before 1865- and other families that arrived shortly after the end of the Civil War –George Robinson, Nathan Branch, Andrew Scott of Evanston; The Mathews family in Lake Forest; the Calhoun family in Kenilworth; the Smith family in Wilmette; the Wilson family of Glencoe … Their struggles, life stories, tenacity and perseverance… and with luck… they lived and forged a new history as – free – people.

In this early history here on the north shore, these communities had:
Established five churches (and we celebrated)
Established Evanston Sanitarium – Hospital (and we celebrated)
Established Emerson Street YMCA (and we celebrated)

Early in our history on the north shore, this community had:
Fought Jim Crow (and we persevered)
Fought segregation (and we persevered)
Organized dozens of civic and social clubs to combat injustices and service our community (and we persevered)

Our local communities have accomplished much throughout its history on the North Shore. We have made history. And we should celebrate.

So we celebrate Juneteenth, celebrating African American freedom, achievement, self-development and remember that we must show respect for all cultures. As Juneteenth celebrations continue across this nation, the events that have transpired back in 1865 in Texas, will not be forgotten. For all of our roots tie back to this fertile soil from which many were delivered to, worked on, built on, and we all should celebrate, a national day of pride that is embodied as Juneteenth.

 

Note: A public speech written by Shorefront staff for two separate Juneteenth community celebrations in 2015 delivered by Dino Robinson and in 2016 delivered by Violetta Cullen.
All photographs by Evanston Photographic Studios.

1. Douglas Harper, “Slavery in the North” http://slavenorth.com/northwest.htm

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Discrimination and Housing on the North Shore

—By Dino Robinson

Dr. King at a press conference at the Orrington Hotel, October 1962.

Throughout the Chicago Suburban North Shore, like most of this country, communities are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and remembering the many accomplishments, messages and influence he has had that continue to this day. Many cities became known as an epicenter for societal changes, influenced by Dr. King’s, and related organizations, message of equality, fairness and advocacy for fair housing.

Chicago’s suburban North Shore became an epicenter around fair housing, though its struggle for equality, equity and housing began as early as 1910. A 1913 issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune contained an article where Wilmette residents wanted to find out what realtor(s) were selling homes to “Negroes” and how to stop the process:

“Wilmette Takes Trail of Negroes: Village Residents Call Meeting Saturday Night To Discuss ‘Invasion’ ”.¹

Local community members who challenged Evanston’s growing support of Jim Crow led to the formation of an early chapter of the NAACP c1919. Later, its city’s first Black alderman, Edwin B. Jourdain Jr., questioned housing policies and made headlines in the Chicago Defender:

Hat-in-hand Group in Evanston Would Bar Race
“A step to bar any more Race people from Evanston was temporarily blocked Sunday Afternoon, after Citizens, at an interracial meeting had been asked to adopt a resolution to stop more members of their race from making Evanston their home.”²

In 1959, a developer tried to build an integrated housing subdivision project in Deerfield but it was met with heated resistance, forcing the developer to abandon the project. It would take another ten-plus years before Deerfield would see its first Black resident.

Real estate protest march in Downtown Evanston

During the 1960s, organized marches protesting the unfair housing restrictions and redlining had gained momentum. Church groups and organizations, local and metro areas, converged into Evanston and marched through the downtown area, often stopping infant of real estate offices with signs and chants.

Dr. King spent the night in the basement

The struggle reached its heights during the 1960s—the decade of significant changes throughout the United States relating to race relations. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s work brought him to the North Shore on four occasions. His visits, sermons and marches birthed new organizations, and movements challenging discriminatory housing in the suburban communities north of Chicago.

Dr. King at the Orrington Hotel, October 1962

Dr. Kings first visit was by the invitation from Beth Emet the Free Synagogue in Evanston, January 13, 1958. His recorded speech was on integration and, ironically, Dr. King spent the night in the basement of the synagogue because “nearby hotels would not allow Negro guests”.

During 1961, the North Shore Summer Project is born of the efforts community members in Wilmette, Illinois with the goal of challenging owners who refuse housing to Jews and African Americans to open up. The movement grew to include more than 40 religious, civic and human relations organizations.

Dr. King’s second and third visit was in October 1962 and again in 1963, speaking on integration at the Unitarian Church and a press conference at the then Orrington Hotel. His 1963 visit was at the First United Methodist Church.

On July 25, 1965, the North Shore Summer Project held a major rally attracting close to 10,000 people on the Winnetka Village Green. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the keynote speaker where he pushed for equal housing on the North Shore. The rally also had detractors including those representing Nazi ideologies urging whites to resist opening housing up to “Negroes”.

Dr. King and Alice Tregay

There were many local members who had interacted with and worked under Dr. King during his visits. Evanston Resident Bill Logan and the late Louis Mosely were tasked to be Dr. King’s bodyguard. Alice Tregay and Bennett Johnson worked in various committees that involved interaction with Dr. King.

Mr. Logan, who later became Evanston’s first Black Police Chief during the 1980s remembers words from Dr. King while working with him. “Go and get your degrees…”

Evanston Passed a fair housing ordinance that became effective January 1, 1968 that affected real estate brokers. Even with the new ordinance, housing discrimination continued for years after.

On Dr. King’s death, the North Shore mourned with the rest of the country and held memorials honoring his legacy. One such memorial was held in April of 1968 in Evanston’s Raymond Park. Local leader Helen Cromer Cooper and the Rev. F.W. McEwen of Tabernacle Baptist Church were among several speakers. In Evanston, That year, Foster School’s lab experiment was renamed to honor Dr. King.

The impact of Dr. King’s work is honored today throughout the North Shore, known in the area as “a day of service”, and is filled with lectures, performances and other activities. Remember, and act.

Sources:
1. Chicago Daily Tribune, August 7, 1913
2. Chicago Defender, February 13, 1935, page 13

Photographs: Photos of Dr. King are from the Shorefront photographic archives ©Evanston Photographic Studio. Photo of marchers, ©Charles Johnson and Photo of Dr. King and Alice Tregay courtesy of Alice Tregay both in the Shorefront photographic archives.

North of Chicago: Video Presentation

Dino Robinson, Founder of Shorefront, discussed the rich, yet little known history of African American life and culture in Evanston and other suburban communities north of Chicago. The presentation was held at the Evanston Public Library on Saturday, May 31, 2014. This is the second time Dino has presented “North of Chicago”, the first at Northwestern University summer of 2013. Dino has presented dozens of lectures throughout the north shore on aspects of Black life and culture since 1999.

Filmed by Evanston Photographic Studio. 59:03 min.

2013 Shorefront Journal Annual Now Available

Shorefront Journal 2013

There is nothing better than having a printed book in you hand. In our transition from our quarterly printed journal to the on-line journal, we knew that many people would still want a journal they can pick up, flip through, bookmark, share and display in your living room.

Every year, Shorefront makes available an annual journal, capturing the years online posts. The cover of the 2013 Shorefront Journal Annual features a young Lorraine H. Morton, Evanston’s first African American and first Democratic mayor. Morton, who served 17 years as mayor, she was also an alderman, middle school principal and elementary school teacher. Her article is in this issue along with 30 other articles.

You can pick up an issue at the Shorefront Legacy Center or order online direct from Lulu.com and have it delivered to your home, business, library or archive. At the same time, you will be supporting the efforts of Shorefront in collecting, preserving and educating people about Black history on Chicago’s suburban North Shore.