Author Clint Smith will discuss his book How the Word Is Passed in conversation with Candace Moore, City of Chicago Chief Equity Officer and Dr. Obari Cartman, President of the Chicago Association of Black Psychologists. The conversation will be moderated by WBEZ reporter Natalie Moore. 

• Time: Thursday, June 16, 6 p.m. 
• Chicago Public Library’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE8pQ7ZYzs_Aq_fa0mweJGw
• CPL’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chipublib/
• Organizer: Chicago Public Libraries

Chicago Department of Public Health’s bi-weekly Instagram Live talk program is hosted by Dr. Erica Taylor, the medical director for congregate settings at CDPH.  The program seeks to create a safe space for the Black community to discuss health disparities, health care, wellness, mental health, and other related issues. Dr. Taylor will be joined by Theodore Crawford who will be discussing Juneteenth and ESPN author Scoop Jackson to discuss his book "A Game is not a Game " along with the topics of Black Culture and fatherhood.

• Time: Thursday, June 16, 6 p.m. 
• Virtual stream on CDPH’s Instagram: @chipublichealth
• Organizer: Chicago Department of Public Health

Following the Black and Brown Dialogue 2021 success, the Consulate General of México in Chicago, the City of Chicago initiative Together We Heal, and Malcom X College join forces to honor Juneteenth and celebrate the African roots that unite Mexico and the United States. This event will be built around a panel discussion on the less-known southbound route used by some African Americans seeking freedom from slavery. This route went from Texas into Mexico and represented a new “promised land” for many. We seek to explore the legacy this diaspora left in Mexico, and enrich the conversation about our shared history.

• Time: Wednesday, June 22, 2 p.m. 
• Virtual from the Mexican Consulate of Chicago’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Consulmex
• Organizers: Consulate General of México in Chicago, Malcom X College and the Office of Equity and Racial Justice

The UBUNTU Center Chicago hosts this dialogue that will provide background and insights on the contributions of Same Gender Loving men and women toward the Black freedom movement after the establishment of the Juneteenth holiday. This history sits at the foundation of subsequent efforts by Black gay men and women in having a liberation day here in Chicago that eventually became the gay pride parade. The dialogue will also cover the work of the organization, Chicago Black Lesbians and Gays (CBLG), the first and only Same Gender Loving organization that has marched in Chicago’s Bud Billiken Day Parade.

• Time: Thursday, June 23,2022, 6 p.m. 
• Location: DuSable Museum of African American History, Ames Auditorium, 740 E 56th Pl, Chicago, IL 60637
• Register for in-person attendance: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intersections-in-the-fight-for-freedom-ubuntu-center-talks-juneteenth-tickets-360721005237
• Virtual stream at UBUNTU Center of Chicago's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UBUNTUCenterofChicago
• Organizers: UBUNTU Center Chicago, DuSable Museum of African American History, and the Chicago's Office of Equity and Racial Justice

The Black Culture Collective presents this lunchtime virtual dialogue that will invite participants to learn about the concept of “Black Culture Wellness” including how the concept was developed and how local Chicago leaders would like to use it to guide the growth of safe and vibrant Black communities. Participants will also be asked for their feedback and ideas about what aspects of Black culture are most important to connect with to help shape some of the emergent strategies community leaders are working on in partnership with Community Safety Coordination Center and the Office of Equity and Racial Justice.

• Date: Tuesday, June 28th, 12 p.m. ***This is a past event***
• Organizers: Black Culture Collective and the Office of Equity and Racial Justice

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

The Juneteenth flag was created by Ben Haith in 1997. Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJOF), initiated the first flag raising ceremony that same year, which was held in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Symbolism:

• The Colors: Red, White, and Blue symbolize the American Flag. This is a reminder that Black Americans built this country and are American citizens. 

• The Star: The White Star at the center of the flag represents not only the Lone Star State (a nod to Galveston, Texas where a declaration of freedom was issued —freeing the Black people who were still enslaved after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862.), but it also represents the freedom of Black Americans across the nation.

• The Burst: The Burst, which surrounds the Star, represents a Nova (or a new star). This represents the new beginning for Black Americans.

• The Arc: The Arc-extending across the width of the flag- represents a new horizon and opportunities for Black Americans. 

The Pan-African flag was created in 1920 by Marcus Garvey, leader of the the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) at a conference in New York City. Garvey created the flag to represent the African Diaspora and the Black Liberation Movement.

Symbolism:

• The Colors: Red, Green, and Black represent unity for the African Diaspora. Red symbolizes the bloodshed in the liberation movement and that unites people of African ancestry. Black symbolizes Black people who make up the Diaspora. Green symbolizes the wealth and fertility of the African continent.