More than a century and a half ago, the last enslaved Black people received the news that they were indeed free. Now, 158 years later, the youngest Black mayor in American history will join the first Black mayor of Aurora, Illinois, to honor the Juneteenth holiday.
Mayor Jaylen Smith, 19, of Earle, Arkansas, is the guest speaker at Aurora’s annual Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony at 1 p.m. on the actual holiday, Monday, June 19. A graduate of the Class of 2022, Smith was elected mayor of his hometown just months after graduating from high school last year at 18 years old.
The ceremony will also feature mayor Richard Irvin’s annual Juneteenth Proclamation, cultural performances, a presentation of the Trailblazers Awards for young Black Aurorans, and a special performance by youth from Chicago’s South Shore Drill Team.
— City government of Aurora, Ill.