Juneteenth might become a Bloomington city holiday

Posted on July 21, 2020
Council member Mboka Mwilambwe (City of Bloomington photo).

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington is a step closer to declaring Juneteenth a city holiday.

At a committee-of-the-whole meeting Monday night, the city council enthusiastically backed Council member Mboka Mwilambwe’s initiative to celebrate each June 19 to mark the end of slavery in the U.S. in 1865.

The matter will be placed on a future city council agenda.

According to Mwilambwe, many Americans don’t know what Juneteenth stands for. He said it took George Floyd’s death “in front of the whole world” and COVID-19 for people to focus on injustice and inequality facing African-Americans.

“If we’re going to live, work, and play together in this community, I think it’s important that we understand what matters to each other,” said Mwilambwe.

Council members Donna Boelen and Joni Painter each said a Juneteenth city holiday is “a great idea. Council member Julie Emig said Mwilambwe’s proposal is “timely” and “well-presented.”

Council member Jenn Carrillo said she likes the idea, and noted she plans on submitting to the council an initiative to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]. 

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…