Madam Walker Legacy Fest Brings Back Indiana Avenue’s Black History

Jun 29, 2026 | History

As dozens of people and music filled Indiana Avenue, Sampson Levingston gestured to the scene around him as evidence of a return to the area’s history as a hub of Black life and music. “This is what Indiana Avenue is supposed to be. Black people having a...

As Juneteenth Is Celebrated Across The US, Obama’s Presidential Center Opens In Chicago

Jun 19, 2026 | Events, History, Leadership

As people gather across the U.S. to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, former President Barack Obama’s presidential center will open its doors to the public for the first time. Located on a sprawling campus on Chicago’s South Side, the center for the nation’s...

Juneteenth And The Meaning Of Freedom

Jun 19, 2026 | History

Juneteenth — first observed in Texas and now recognized throughout the United States — celebrates a historic freedom moment for Black Americans. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the long-overdue news that all enslaved Black...

As We Celebrate Juneteenth, Let’s Also Celebrate The Courageous Woman Who Made It Possible

Jun 19, 2026 | History, Women

Juneteenth, which is June 19, is the day we commemorate the end of institutionalized slavery in Texas. It is a significant date in American history as well as the African American experience. More specifically, it is the day in 1865 where Major Gen. Gordon Granger...

Juneteenth Celebrates a Victory That Never Stays Fully Won

Jun 19, 2026 | History

Juneteenth, the celebration of the good news in 1865 that the great abomination of slavery had ended, is a contradictory holiday. It’s joyful in that it commemorates the emancipation of millions of Americans from subhuman legal status. It is sorrowful in that its...

As Juneteenth Is Celebrated Across The US, Obama’s Presidential Center Opens In Chicago

Jun 19, 2026 | Events, History

As people gather across the U.S. to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, former President Barack Obama’s presidential center will open its doors to the public for the first time. Located on a sprawling campus on Chicago’s South Side, the center for the nation’s first Black...