ABC7 commemorates Juneteenth with ‘Our Chicago: Freedom Day’ special

CHICAGO (WLS) — Juneteenth, now noticed as a federal vacation, marks the day in American historical past when the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced in Texas, releasing the final remaining enslaved individuals in Galveston, successfully ending slavery in the US, two years after its signing, on June 19, 1865. ABC7 takes viewers again in historical past with its half-hour particular, “Our Chicago: Freedom Day,” Sunday, June 19, at 4:30 p.m. on ABC7 Chicago.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning anchors/reporters Cheryl Burton and Terrell Brown, the particular will even be accessible on abc7chicago.com and ABC7’s Linked TV Apps on Amazon Hearth TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

“ABC7 is proud to commemorate the Juneteenth vacation with particular programming that may present historic context, perception into the occasions of that day and group figures who labored diligently through the years to make Juneteenth a federal vacation,” stated John Loafer, president and basic supervisor, ABC7 Chicago.

“Our Chicago: Freedom Day” explores what Juneteenth means to the nation and what Chicagoans and the state of Illinois are doing to commemorate it. Cheryl Burton and Terrell Brown

take viewers on a stroll via history-featuring historians and essential Galveston landmarks to color an image of what transpired on that pivotal June day in 1865. Brown travels to Galveston to speak to historian Sam Collins about how this momentous occasion modified the course of historical past within the nation. He additionally visits Reedy Chapel and Union headquarters to spotlight their relevance to the day slaves had been let loose. Cheryl Burton explores one Chicagoan’s quest to make Juneteenth a paid vacation within the metropolis when she sits down with Torrence Gardner, the one who wrote the invoice and helped spearhead that effort with Chicago’s Juneteenth Planning Coalition.

Throughout the particular, Chicagoans and different key figures who performed a task in Juneteenth’s ascendance to native and nationwide prominence share their perspective, together with Opal Lee the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” who fought to make today a federal vacation; David Peterson from Chicago’s Pullman Museum, who describes varied group celebrations and efforts to maintain the celebrations genuine; and LaCreshia Birts, group organizer and co-chair of Chicago’s Juneteenth Planning Coalition, who presents a glimpse of a number of the notable celebrations happening in Chicago.