Evanston celebrates Father’s Day and Juneteenth this weekend
As always, Father’s Day falls in the middle of Pride Month, and this year, it also happens to share the day with Juneteenth, the newly minted federal holiday of a too-often invisible day in our history that marks the end of slavery in the United States.
Eli Cooper-Nelson, the general manager at Booked, a children’s and youth bookstore on Main Street, told the RoundTable that he and his team at the store want to offer literary selections that are expansive and inclusive of all three events this weekend: Juneteenth, Father’s Day and Pride Month.
For many, Father’s Day is about revisiting the memories, rather than the person. Longtime Evanstonians Lillie Parsons and her daughter, Felisha Parsons have lived her for more than 50 years.
Lillie’s husband and Felisha’s father was a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, so Father’s Day each year means a chance to honor his life, his legacy and his service to the country
she said. “It’s all about family, remembering our loved ones, commemorating our heritage and just being proud of who we are and all that we’ve contributed to this country.”
Felisha said part of her Father’s Day and Juneteenth plans are participating in the 23rd annual Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate. The annual spring honord the life and legacy of Byrdsong,
At Ten Thousand Villages, manager Cheryl Nester-Detweiler said that the store’s new men’s shirts have proven to be a hit as a Father’s Day gift. Being in retail, she will have to work on Sunday
“Whatever my husband wants to do,” Nester-Detweiler said when asked what she her plans were. “Usually, I’ll just let him choose. It’s his day, so let’s just do whatever he wants. I think we’re going to grill, but a lot of times
Outside Hoosier Mama Pie Company on Chicago Avenue, Aaron and Charlotte Jaffe, 92 and 90-years-old respectively, were celebrating their 71st wedding anniversary. Aaron was a state representative in the Illinois legislature for 14 years and a Cook County judge for more than 20. The couple were married on Father’s Day in 1951.
“It’s been quite a ride,” Charlotte said. “We were a team, and I think that team psychology had to evolve, had to develop with respect for one another’s interests, one another’s passions.”