In 2020, at the height of racial tension with the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, the South Suburban communities showed up in droves in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to express their anger, frustration, and support of the Black community in the forms of protests and vigils. You Matter 2’s Founder & CEO, Destiny Watson, created a plan to continue this activism. With Juneteenth becoming more recognized in 2020, Destiny began organizing the inaugural 2021 Homewood-Flossmoor Juneteenth Festival in an effort to bring the community together to celebrate Black joy, learn about the holiday, and highlight Black-owned Businesses.

Through the support of sponsors and partners like the Village of Flossmoor, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, and K. Carlton Inc., You Matter 2 was able to fully fund and host the historic and first-ever Homewood-Flossmoor Juneteenth Festival with over 2,000 attendees, 83 Black-owned businesses, and 15 entertainers in year one. In the span of a year, the festival has expanded to include a Juneteenth Parade, the first Mr. and Miss Homewood-Flossmoor Juneteenth Royal Court, grown to be the LARGEST Chicago Southland Juneteenth Festival, and has become a staple in the community that will remain for years to come. We are grateful to bring an experience that honors our ancestors, celebrates Black culture, pride, and power, and creates a space for us, by us. We are making history and creating a norm where Black culture is celebrated and it’s evidence that how we’re viewed is not the reality of who we are.