The celebration in downtown Aurora Wednesday afternoon was about freedom and life. For the third year, Aurora raised the Juneteenth flag, talking about the freedom the holiday itself represents, and the life of the woman for whom Aurora’s Juneteenth flag-raising is dedicated to, Scheketa Hart-Burns. It was exactly a year ago on June 19, 2023, that word began circulating around the flag-raising event that Hart-Burns, the 7th Ward City Council member for 32 years and a dedicated community activist, had died that morning.
Now, a year later, the Juneteenth event at One Aurora Plaza downtown is a tradition, and it’s dedicated in Hart-Burns’ memory. Clayton Muhammad, Aurora’s chief communications and equity officer and a senior advisor to Mayor Richard Irvin, said Hart-Burns “not only left big shoes to fill,” but also a legacy. “You know she’s looking down and liking this party with a purpose,” he said.
The party with a purpose featured entertainment from local talent and celebrities from outside. From Aurora, the 40+ Double Dutch Club of the Fry’s Family YMCA of both Aurora and Naperville danced and jumped rope, showing off the skills of women more than 40 years old – even up into their 80s. Young women from the Aurora-based Dream Dance Academy, a Black-owned business, showed off some modern dance and some good, old-fashioned gospel.
And the city featured Mr. Black Aurora and Miss Black Aurora, the king and queen of the Royal Court. The king is Kam’ron Toll.
