Smiles, dancing in the spotlight at Juneteenth celebration in Yorkville

Smiles as well as plenty of dancing were on display at Juneteenth in Kendall County – A Celebration of Love & Education.

The event was held on June 19 at Yorkville Congregational United Church of Christ. This was the first year of the event at the church after being held the last four years in Plano.

In February 2021, Plano made history by becoming the first community in Illinois to adopt Juneteenth as an official holiday.

Later that year, Juneteenth became a state and federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the day when the last enslaved people in the country were informed of their freedom.

Jamal Williams, who heads up a committee that puts on the celebration every year, had announced the annual event was cancelled this year.

After his announcement that the event was cancelled, Wamecca Rodriguez, coach of the Yorkville Middle School and Yorkville High School step teams, and the Rev. Elizabeth Hartung, pastor of the Yorkville Congregational United Church of Christ, stepped forward to ensure the event would continue this year.

Williams hopes this year’s celebration will help more people understand the importance of Juneteenth and to help bring the community together.