“Freedom created other problems. Despite the announcement, Texas slave owners weren’t too eager to part with what they felt was their property. When freed people tried to leave, many of them were beaten, lynched or murdered. ‘They would catch [freed slaves] swimming across [the] Sabine River and shoot them,’ a former enslaved person named Susan Merritt recalled.” (Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/501680/12-things-you-might-not-know-about-juneteenth)

Learn more at LLCC’s upcoming Juneteenth activities, including a celebration on June 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons and a book read of “On Juneteenth” by Annette Gordon-Reed. Get more details.

June 17-19 is 217 Black Restaurant Weekend. Now in its third year, the event aims to counter economic disparity within black-owned businesses with fun and interactive solutions that engage, excite and ignite a deeper understanding and appreciation of Springfield’s food culture. LLCC is sponsoring Jerk Shop Go, located in downtown Springfield.