Juneteenth, now a national holiday in the United States, celebrated every June 19th, is a commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. The Emancipation Proclamation of 1860 marked the end of slavery, a turning point in US history, and has been celebrated every year since.
Juneteenth is widely celebrated among many African Americans across the country with many widespread celebrations. In a city called Willowbrook, which is relatively Southwest Chicago, Illinois, there was a Juneteenth celebration in a strip mall parking lot. As people were just trying to voice their celebrations, this resulted in a shooting with 23 people shot and wounded with another fatality. The strip mall was neighboring an apartment in which the shooter had shot bullets that had reached and broken windows in the apartments as well.
This incident is one of many across Chicago as in total there are more than 75 wounded and 13 fatalities. Many different shooters all had similar motives to bring down the voices of those celebrating this holiday.
These shootings highlight the persistent racial injustices and systemic racism that continue to affect marginalized communities. It underscores the fact that even in a moment of celebration and remembrance, African Americans still face threats to their safety and well-being.
A possible response to many shootings like this are reforms for sensible gun control measures to ensure public safety and prevent such tragic events from occurring. Communities disproportionately affected by gun violence, including minority communities, often experience a sense of insecurity and fear for their lives. Gun control could effectively prevent many hate crimes.
Ayan Kumar's Blog 