From past, present to future, Oak Park celebrates Black history year-round

Earlier this month, the Oak Park public library hosted an event with Rozlyn Kelly, president of the Farmington Genealogical Council, titled: Finding your Black Ancestors. One of many events the city has hosted in the spirit of Black History Month.

Kelly shared her experience tracing her own family’s path through history, and provided tips and resources for residents to begin their own journey. Kelly recommended that residents narrow their research and cited libraries, especially the Library of Michigan, as important tools for research and discovery.

“You cannot do this without libraries,” Kelly says. “The information that you’re looking for, that you’re seeking to help you fill in the gaps in your family history, are in that library somewhere.”

One of the challenges African-Americans face when tracing their family history is the lack of detailed family records before the 1870 Census. Many last names changed post-slavery, and historical records have often omitted the achievements and progress of the Black community in America. 

For Kelly, tracing her family history isn’t about rewriting history but validating the truth.

“My family history is Black history and Black history is American history,” she says. “We all have something to learn from each other, and when you’re interested in genealogy, it doesn’t matter what ethnic group it is; it feels wonderful to have a fuller picture. It’s just an awesome confirmation of the family stories and the oral history I learned growing up.” 

Black History Month is a rather new celebration in American history. The official recognition of the month did not occur till 1976. In 1926, Carter Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History created the precursor of Black History Month, Negro History Week. At the time, the celebration was only celebrated in the second week of February. It would take 50 years before the country fully embraced the celebration when sitting president, Gerald Ford recognized the event. 

In a 2024 Gallup poll, only 46% of Black Americans felt their contributions to American culture were celebrated. It’s one of the reasons Oak Park works year-round to celebrate its diversity and Black community, says councilwoman Stephanie Crawford.

“Oak Park is a city that values and celebrates everyone. [It] just gets it right when it comes to embracing and celebrating diversity,” Crawford says. 

Crawford started in the city’s Arts and Cultural Diversity Commission. After serving the commission for eight years, Crawford was elected to the city council in 2025.

“We have a very diverse community, and we do a great job of celebrating and highlighting all of our residents; every neighborhood, every voice, all cultures. It’s important because we want to remember the past and we want to celebrate our present,” Crawford says.

Celebrating Black History Year-Round

One of Oak Park’s biggest yearly cultural celebrations is Juneteenth. June 19, Juneteenth, marks the celebration of when the last slaves in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free in 1865. This occurred nearly three years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which marked the end of slavery in the United States. 

Juneteenth itself represents the struggle the country has had in recognizing cultural moments in American history centered in the Black community. It took over 150 years before Juneteenth was recognized as an official holiday in 2021. 

Many Americans weren’t even aware of the date growing up.

“Attending elementary, middle, and high school, we did not study what Juneteenth was. I was an adult before I knew what Juneteenth meant,” says Rita Lockridge, former teacher and longtime Oak Park resident. “When I learned about it, I was trying to make sure my students understood what was going on.”

Lockridge has lived in the city for over 30 years. Originally lured in by the city’s ranch-style houses, Lockridge stayed because of its inclusive culture.

“When I saw that we were doing things to incorporate everyone, that really impressed me, because we all need to understand and know each other,” Lockridge says. “The more we understand each other, the more we know about each other, the more experience we have with each other.” Lockridge is also a co-chair on the city’s Juneteenth commission.

According to Councilman and mayor pro tem, Shaun Whitehead, that is because “Oak Park is a pioneer in everything.” Whitehead has been serving the city of Oak Park for over five years. In 2020, Whitehead worked with city officials and residents to bring the celebration to the city.

“[Juneteenth] is a big part of the history of our country. It’s our actual Independence Day, when everyone in this country became free,” Whitehead says. “We noticed that Juneteenth often happened during the city’s summerfest. We figured it would be a good time to take one of those days out of the three, and celebrate Juneteenth.” 

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s first Juneteenth celebration was virtual.

“We had a virtual celebration in which we put together an entire program. It had music, educational information regarding Juneteenth, and skits and plays,” says Crawford, who worked with Whitehead on the city’s first Juneteenth celebration. “We were kind of locked in our homes, you know, and we had to be very careful about the spread, and a lot of the buildings were closed, but by creating this program, it kind of brought us back together. It gave us a reason to celebrate, and it just grew from there.”

The celebration laid the groundwork for the city’s spin on Juneteenth. In 2021, the city had its first in-person celebration. In the following years, the celebration would bloom to include a wide range of unique activities and events. 

Children also play a big role in the celebration each year. One of the highlights and unique aspects of Oak Park’s Juneteenth is a youth scholarship contest. Open to residents 18 and under, the competition asks for individuals to submit essays, poems and art to express what Juneteenth means to them. Last year, the city handed out over $7000 in scholarships.

“We have to educate our youth on the significance of this day, because they have to carry on that tradition,” Crawford says.

As of 2025, the city has hosted fashion walks, numerous musicians and dance troops, a mobile museum on Black history, and a special morning walk titled, Walk a Mile in my Shoes. Every year also featured a newly designed t-shirt to commemorate the event. The city works every year, so the event enriches the mind, body, and soul of each resident who attends.

Whitehead and Lockridge agree that the key to Oak Park’s Juneteenth is recognizing and celebrating our shared history and passing it on to the future. 

“It feels we are trying to erase and camouflage history and what really happened in this country. We already do not teach enough of it. It’s time for people to learn and grow, right now in our political divide, in our social divide, we need to come together as much as possible,” Lockridge says.

“We’re focused on family, we’re focused on community, and we’re focused on elevating Oak Park. I’m a firm believer that the future is important, but we have to know our history before we know where we’re going,” Whitehead says.

As this year’s Juneteenth celebration nears, Crawford says to expect things to be “bigger and better.” 

Residents can get involved by reaching out to the city council or attending one of the commission planning meetings. Meetings occur on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m., and are held at City Hall Executive Conference Room, 14000 Oak Park Blvd.

This story is part of a series supported by the city of Oak Park to highlight the people, businesses, and initiatives that make Oak Park a unique place to live.