DuSable Black History Museum celebrates Juneteenth

[00:00:00]the country's oldest independent Black History Museum is also celebrating Juneteenth today. Joining me now, we have Perry Ermer, president and CEO of the DuSable Black History Museum. Happy Juneteenth.

[00:00:13]>> Happy Juneteenth to you and all of your viewers. Thank you so much for having us on.

[00:00:17]>> Absolutely. Thank you for being here.

[00:00:20]Tell us about the event that you guys have going on right now celebrating Juneteenth.

[00:00:24]>> Well, once again, we're celebrating Juneteenth at the [snorts] nation's oldest independent Black History Museum, the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. And we have a few thousand people out here. I know that you've got cameras out looking at all of the activities on the south part of our campus. We have entertainment. We have NASCAR is here with driver simulations. We have food vendors and merchandise vendors. And it's quite a celebration and also a time for reflection. Um, but we we have just so many family activities. We've got the bouncy houses where my grandchildren are right now.

[00:01:09]And just it's just been a beautiful beautiful day. And we're so happy to also welcome our neighbor to the east, the Obama Presidential Center.

[00:01:20]So we've got buses going back and forth from the Obama Center campus to to the DuSable campus. What you see there now is a replica of the bus that Rosa Parks staged her her protest at. And that was provided by Pace Transportation. So we've just got a lot of wonderful things going on and just performances and DJs and lots of great food and lots of great activities.

[00:01:54]And uh as we you know, try to navigate what's going on now in this country and elsewhere you know it's a day of hope as well and it's a day of you know understanding that while America may not have fulfilled its entire promise to all people it can happen and it will happen.

[00:02:20]So we celebrate as you said Juneteenth 1865 when the enslaved people in Texas found out that they were free and that [snorts] didn't happen for two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

[00:02:39]So we celebrate, we we eat, we we we entertain our families, our friends and the DuSable is happy to to take [snorts] part and provide our community with a place to come that is safe and enjoyable and [snorts] and authentic.

[00:03:02]>> You know you touched on the Obama Presidential Center. So we got to talk about it quickly because this is just so exciting. You know it's now open. People are here from all over the country, all over the world. What are you hoping that people take away from it today?

[00:03:17]>> Well you know it's it's it's an incredible full story of the miracle and it was a miracle of Obama's election and when you go through the Obama Center and you see all of his accomplishments and his beautiful family and a presidency of morality and integrity and caring for all Americans. And then you can come to the DuSable and [snorts] see the full story right?

[00:03:50]The history of the United States. And our history is American history. You can't separate the two. Um, you can't have an America without the black people who, uh, were free labor for, uh, the creation of America's wealth. Um, that has again come down through the generations as an advantage, uh, of that free labor. So, you know, it's it's important to have the full story.

[00:04:20]Uh, we we like to say that, uh, if if you're if you're old enough to remember what encyclopedias were, the Obama Center's the volume or two of the Obama presidency and all the wonderful things that were accomplished. But the DuSable's the whole set of encyclopedias, right? We're we're A to Z.

[00:04:41]Uh, and, uh, and it's important to have that context. It's important to, um, put that in a narrative, uh, of history, especially now when certain people are trying to erase our history or uh, or rewrite it, um, to suit their needs and purposes. So, um, the struggle continues, yes.

[00:05:05]Um, we're also celebrating the 250th, uh, birthday of America.

[00:05:10]Um, black people fought in every single war. Uh, a black man was the first one killed in the American Revolution, Crispus Attucks. So, it's important that our children and our grandchildren know this history and come out and see black excellence, uh, as well as black history.

[00:05:29]>> Uh, well, Perry, I could ask you a million questions, but we got to leave it there. Thank you so much for joining us today. Really appreciate you.

[00:05:37]>> Thank you. It's my pleasure. Enjoy this gorgeous weather.

[00:05:40]>> Thank you. You as well.