Gary celebrates Juneteenth with parade in Midtown

Chicago Tribune

3 hours ago

Looking at her grandchildren's interest in a Juneteenth parade, Wendy Kimble can't help but feel proud.
'I love it,' Kimble said. 'It gives us a time to be able to etch this moment in time and be able to spend time with our family.'
They went to the parade because her grandchildren like cars, but Kimble was hoping they'd walk away with more life lessons.
'This is just an example of what it means to come together as African Americans and our community,' Kimble said. 'But, it's so much more than that, and I intend on teaching them that.'
Kimble and her family attended Gary's Juneteenth parade Thursday, which is part of the city's Midtown Fest. The parade started at the intersection of 15th Avenue and Broadway and ended at Roosevelt Park.
Thursday also featured a car show at Roosevelt Park and music, including a performance by singer Kym Mazelle, who is from Gary. Mazelle was also the grand marshal of the Juneteenth parade.
'I'm overwhelmed to be back home,' Mazelle said. 'I'm overwhelmed to be part of this event for Juneteenth, and I'm blessed to be back at Roosevelt Park.'
Juneteenth, which is every June 19, is a federal holiday that celebrates the emancipation of all enslaved people in the U.S., according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It marks the date in 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas received news of their emancipation from slavery by order of Major General Gordon Granger. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1, 1863, but slaveholders in Texas, which was part of the Confederacy, were inconsistent in following it. Freedom for all remaining slaves came in December 1865 when the 13th Amendment was ratified.
State Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, issued a statement ahead of the national holiday, urging people to not allow actions to be taken to erase Black history. Harris' said that action first takes place in the classroom, and the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus is making moves to 'remove roadblocks and create an equal playing field' for all Hoosiers.
'Today, 160 years later, Juneteenth is still as important as it was the first year it was celebrated,' Harris said. 'Juneteenth is a day to celebrate the liberation, joy and achievements of Black people. It is also a time to channel our efforts to overcome the barriers that still lie ahead of us.'
Watching her hometown celebrate Juneteenth made Mazelle proud, she said.
Mazelle cried before the parade because she was so happy to see Gary embracing a holiday dedicated to Black Americans.
'It's beautiful,' Mazelle said. 'There's just so much history here.'
Nawtissha Edwards, from Merrillville, heard about the parade from a flyer, and she was excited to celebrate the national holiday with her husband, Martice.
She hopes the parade continues to grow in the future, Edwards said.
'A lot of years, nothing is done, but now we know something is being done,' she said. 'It's being acknowledged, it's now a national holiday. We just wanted to be able to come out here and celebrate with everyone else.'
Edwards also enjoyed seeing children involved in the celebration, especially seeing them in Juneteenth colors and participating in the parade.
'I'm very proud and very excited for the next generation,' Edwards said. 'I want them to know what the meaning is. I think that's important.'
Vanita and Octavia Wells, a mother and daughter from Gary, walked together in the Juneteenth parade, representing Little Bean Learning, which provides a nature-based education to students. Vanita Wells said it was important for them to walk in the parade so they can be seen and show people why supporting Black history matters.
Walking with her mother made the parade even more special, Octavia Wells said.
'I've always been super proud of my mom with all the stuff she's accomplished,' she said. 'It means a lot to just be able to enjoy and celebrate what others have accomplished.'