Cover Story
Juneteenth
Springfield is honoring the legacy of Juneteenth with a vibrant, monthlong lineup of events designed to educate, inspire and bring people together, ranging from live musical performances to educational workshops and family-friendly picnics. Whether you are looking to support local Black-owned businesses, dive deep into African American history, or enjoy great food and art with…
Call me Ishmael
“And God heard the voice of the boy …” Genesis 21:17a Call me Ishmael. With these three words, Herman Melville begins his 19th century novel Moby Dick and introduces the man who will be telling his story of the adventures at sea. For Melville, naming his narrator after the biblical character Ishmael who was sent…
What we meant when we wrote the Calls to Action
Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti once wrote that if you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way is to tell their story and start with “secondly.” I have been thinking about that idea often because history is full of stories that begin too late. Many Americans were introduced to Juneteenth only after it became a…
Pritzker offers some lobbying advice to Chicago Bears
Gov. JB Pritzker last week squarely placed the responsibility for passing a Chicago Bears stadium bill on the team itself and had some unsolicited lobbying advice for the Bears as he attempted to brush off his own session attendance issues. The governor continued to downplay his own role in passing a stadium or stadium-related bill,…
Furious all about overkill, Spielberg’s Disclosure Day proves to be a tedious slog
Overkill the name of the game in Furious I doubt fans of martial arts movies will raise many objections to the many flaws in Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious. Those who flock to films of this sort don’t get hung up on hackneyed dialogue, cliched characters, improbably plot twists or an inordinately long running time. Nope,…
Show me the job losses
Across the nation, economists have expressed concerns about the reliability of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not because of political bias or thumbs on the scale, but rather a lack of manpower amongst the scaled-back federal agency tasked with fielding data about the country’s economic health. That concern stretches to Springfield, according to Ryan McCrady,…
Restorative justice in Sangamon County
The seventh floor of the Sangamon County Complex is busy on Wednesday afternoons. Mental Health Court participants wait in the hall overlooking downtown Springfield. They talk about their pets, their commutes, some shared music tastes. Others find a seat and pull out a book to dive into. A black Labrador assistance dog calmly walked between…
Monkeys
We put off getting a TV till long aftereveryone else had one. We wantedour kids to be more readers thanviewers. Then came Kennedy’sassassination and there was nothingbut three days of news on the TV.We got one. By then it was December,and the first thing we watched as a familywas “The Wizard of Oz.” My second…
Letters to the editor 6/11
We welcome letters. Please include your full name, address and telephone number. We edit all letters. Send them to editor@illinoistimes.com. VOTERS DIDN’T WANT IT I was the Springfield corporation counsel who represented the city in the McNeil v. City of Springfield Voting Rights Act lawsuit. I believe that there is a factual error in Jim…
Tree trimming
At night, what sounds like the leaves of Springfield’s street trees rustled by the breeze is really those trees whispering to each other. And the word they say most often is “Langfelder.” When Jim Langfelder became Springfield mayor in 2015, one of his first hires was a city arborist. In 2019 he reinvigorated the city’s…
Celebrate Juneteenth with variety of events
This year marks the 32nd annual Juneteenth celebration in Springfield honoring the freedom, community, resilience and history of enslaved African Americans. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the end of slavery after enslaved people in Texas were finally freed on June 19, 1865 – two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. In…
“Battling the fires of racism”
New large mahogany doors and all-yellow brickwork on the façade of the Black Firehouse at 1310 E. Adams St. are the latest renovations expected to be completed by the end of August on this historic structure. The building, owned by the Central Lodge #3 Prince Hall Masons, was once Firehouse No. 5, known as the…
noir 6: The Truth
Artist Bri Jackson painted an acrylic on canvas of a Black mother and her child that represents an excellent example of Black art standing for “Truth,” the curator of “noir 6: The Truth” art exhibition said. “noir 6: The Truth” is an exhibition of Black art, depicting Blacks’ lives, that will be part of activities…
The Stanza Stories
The public is invited to The Stanza Stories presentation and awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at First Presbyterian Church, 321 S. Seventh St. Celebrate the culmination of 10 racial healing workshops and hear the powerful poetry created by seven participants throughout this journey facilitated by Dr. Kelly Hurst, executive director of the…
An outdoor food court for Southtown
The Springfield Project at CAP 1908 Innovation & Coworking Center is planning the creation of an outdoor food court to promote entrepreneurship even as it introduces a summer market series. The Springfield Project’s goal of developing an outdoor entrepreneurial food court was given a boost after the Springfield City Council on May 19 adopted an…
217 BUY BLACK DIRECTORY 2026
5th Street Gem 221 S. Fifth St. Lakeisha Purchase Lounge and food and event venue 217-416-9277 7’s Groceries2520 E. Clear Lake Ave.Arriel WilliamsGrocery store217-717-1683 710 Rippy G’s 2501 Wabash Ave. Jenita Harris Restaurant 217-572-1500 1221 Photography 504 S. Fourth St.Zach Adams Photography 217-303-2264 A’Shay Kreations Online Shayla Whitfield Retail 217-553-4721 Ace of Fadez Barbershop 210 W. Laurel St. David Lott Personal care 217-407-9596 Adams Heating & Cooling 1017 S. 25th St. Roy L. Adams HVAC 217-503-6800 All In…
A Juneteenth convergence of cultures
Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when enslaved Texans finally learned of their freedom – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing the date as a federal holiday. Juneteenth has a red-themed culinary tradition, from crimson hibiscus tea to Sea Island red peas, which…
Springfield’s Ted Eck and the golden age of U.S. soccer
With FIFA World Cup matches set to be played on American soil June 11-July 19, it is the perfect time to revisit the United States Men’s Team return to World Cup play 36 years ago. After a 40-year hiatus, Springfield native Ted Eck helped make U.S. soccer history. Eck grew up as the youngest member…
Music is jumpin’ in June
Tree frogs croakin’, fireflies flittin’ and June bugs jivin’ are all sure signs that the natural world is headed toward the summer season. All signs in our live performance world also point in the same direction with outdoor gigs galore in store for you and all who choose to join in the seasonal fare. And…
New home, new name for annual music fest
This popular annual music festival, which always packs some serious musical talent, has a new name and new home after previous stops at Sheedy Shores and Long Bridge Golf Course. This year’s event was organized by Tom Beverly, Geoff Ryan, Tom Noonan and Blake Samat. Now in its fifth year, it will feature Emily Perkins,…
