Chicago Sports

Bears rookie Braxton Jones has noticed he’s not being treated like just another fifth-round draft pick since he started taking first-team reps at left tackle during OTA practices.

“They’re harder on me,” Jones said. “Maybe when I was taking Team-3 reps or Team-2 reps, that one o-lineman didn’t need to rely on me as much. But I think they’re harder on me, and I like it like that.

“Even going against a guy like Cody Whitehair, he’s hard on me. Every play, he’s like, ‘C’mon, you’ve got to get off the ball, you’ve got to do this.’ And I think it’s great for me –them getting on me a little bit more is something I need. The respect is there, but also I think the level of ‘Let’s go’ is there as well.”

Holding Jones to a higher standard is plenty of respect in itself. While Jones still has major hurdles to clear — practices in pads, preseason games and the regular season if it comes to that — the rookie from Southern Utah is in line to battle for the starting job at left tackle.

Whether he makes it or not, he’s going to get the opportunity, which is what Matt Eberflus’ first Bears training camp will be all about. Jones is one of 26 rookies on the Bears 90-man roster — 11 drafted, 15 undrafted. And any of them who shows anything could move up the charts quickly.

This figures to be a wide-open camp and a golden opportunity for rookies. Already, cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker — the Bears’ two second-round draft picks — are slated for starting jobs. And wide receiver Velus Jones –the Bears’ third-round draft pick –will be given every opportunity to prove he isn’t ready.

Unlike previous teams, this version of the Bears doesn’t have a lot of proven veterans to get in the way of a rookie with potential. There’s no Jason Peters. No Tashaun Gipson. No Jimmy Graham.

And Eberflus seems very content with giving any rookies an opportunity to prove themselves.

“You’re going to have to put him in,” Eberflus said. “You’re going to have to learn from your mistakes and learn from practice and get the experience. Now as long as you’re talented enough and you’re a pro-level starter — of course those guys are going to make plays and you can see that pretty quick. I’ve seen that with a lot of guys that we’ve started early in their career.”

A year ago, the Bears were in no-man’s land under general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy –thinking they were contenders with a roster that needed an overhaul. Who knows just how difficult this rebuild season will be, but it will be refreshing on one level — Eberflus seems much more likely to play developing players who give the Bears the best chance to win in 2023 than veteran players who give them the best chance to win in 2022.

We’ll see how it shakes out, but Eberflus seems willing to tolerate a player losing a game today if that experience helps him win more games tomorrow. That’s what the Bears need.

And he already has his eyes on some rookies who will get a good shot in training camp based on their play in the offseason program.

“When I see a guy that has the talent at this time of the year, I want to really get a thorough evaluation of him in training camp,” Eberflus said.

Matchups will be the tell that Eberflus is intrigued by a promising player.

“[If] I have Player A that I think is on the rise, I’ll say, ‘OK, let’s put him against our best guy so I can see it,” Eberflus said. “So he’s playing against a pro player, a really good starter. Now I can see what he can do. And we’ll match those up all the time.

“It’s not just roll the ball out there –ones vs. ones; twos vs. twos. No –lets’ match these players up so we can see them, because a lot of times what happens is if you have a rookie that was playing with the twos … he doesn’t get that exposure. He really needs to get that exposure and see where he’s at, and in the end it’ll [improve] his game and make it better by going against better talent. We’ll do that all the way through [the roster].”

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Matt Eberflus gathered up his team after the final mandatory minicamp practice Thursday and delivered the annual first rite of NFL summer: a list of what he expected his players to do — and not do– before the first practice of training camp 40 days later.

The Bears’ first-year head coach told his players to stay out of trouble and stay in shape.

“Get your track shoes on,” he said.

The first time Eberflus made the track-shoes declaration, in January, he was sitting at the podium inside Halas Hall being introduced as the Bears’ new hire. At the time, it sounded like a challenge: We need to be faster.

Almost five months later, though, it’s clear that the phrase is a way of life. In his last team meeting of his first offseason in charge, Eberflus emphasized that players better be ready when training camp begins.

It’s not just that Eberflus wants his players to be quicker — though, of course, he does–as much as he wants his players to know that there’s a standard he will measure them against. His ability to dispassionately grade his players’ speed, effort and even body fat content is so ingrained in Eberflus that it’s become his identity as a head coach before the Bears have even played a game.

Eberflus’ devotion to his H.I.T.S. principle — which emphasizes Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways and Smarts — gives him and his staff something to measure in mandatory minicamp practices, training camps and, eventually, games.

“We categorize every single thing with effort and the intensity piece …” he said Thursday. “We standardize effort. We standardize intensity. We standardize taking the ball away and protecting the ball. And we standardize how we’re smart in situations. So, those are all measured.

“So, when we look at the tape we don’t walk by mistakes. We look at it and say, ‘OK, that’s not the right effort we’re talking about.’ Or that is the right effort we’re talking about. ‘Man, that is the standard.’ That makes a mindful eye for the coaches. The coaches gotta pay attention to that. I am the ultimate guy that has got to pay attention to that.”

The Bears even grade how fast players run between drills.

“It’s quicker, it’s faster,” he said of practice. “We’re running, but it’s not there yet. We have to get better.”

That was the theme of the three-day mandatory minicamp, which ended Thursday: It’s not there yet. Quarterback Justin Fields said almost the same thing about the Bears’ offense.

“I would say that our whole football team needs to get better, right? We’re in OTA, first year,” Eberflus said. “So we’re going in to training camp, this is a building block. We built the foundation of what we want to be about, how we operate.”

Eberflus said he was proud of growing the team’s culture, which he admitted can be an overused trope.

“Culture’s really one action at a time, how you treat each other and how you go about your business, right?” he said. “So we’ve established that right now. That’s a day-to-day process. So now the next step is to get our systems down, and we’re in the process of that.”

Key to culture, he said, is the ability to be honest with each other. Coaches meticulously grading their players is just that.

“You have to have that as a team,” he said. “Because you have to be close that way, because you’re going to have adversity and you gotta be honest with each other, and look at it and say and step forward to the next step and keep taking the next step.”

That next step, more than anything, will be what the head coach himself is measured against between now and the season opener on Sept. 11. He’s already planned every practice, meeting and workout between now and the end of the season. He’s talked with his coaches about how much his players will appear in preseason games, though he’s yet to come to a decision.

Asked what he knows now about being in charge that he didn’t know back in January, Eberflus paused for a minute before settling on, among other things, planning. He’d never been a head coach, at any level, until January; his friends who had told him that he should be prepared to become the scheduling coach and the public-relations coach, too. Some of that, he said, proved true.

Planning came naturally. Eberflus has already picked out three books he wants to read during his summer break, which will last about a month.

In between tee times and family time, he’ll mentally prepare himself for the upcoming season.

“Setting your mind up for what is going to happen,” he said. “There’s going to be adversities for the season –and then, how you’re going to respond to that as a head football coach and as a football team. So, get your mind prepared for that.”

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Maestro Riccardo Muti will miss Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts Thursday through Saturday due to a positive COVID test result on Thursday.

This is the second time Muti has been sidelined by the virus, which forced him to miss five performances in April. Per CSO COVID protocols, Muti tests daily for the virus.

Stepping in for Muti at Symphony Center on Thursday night (as was the case in April) will be Georg Solti conducting apprentice Lina Gonz?lez-Granados.

The program for the concerts will remain the same, featuring Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto featuring violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist.

According to the official statement, Muti “is experiencing mild symptoms, is in good spirits, and is planning to resume his other June residency activities as soon as possible.”

Muti’s next scheduled performance is June 23.

Ticketholders can contact Symphony Center patron services at (312) 294-3000 for more information.

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WGN TV will be without a team next year when MLS puts all of its games on Apple TV.

The Fire are in their third season on WGN, which lost the Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox after their 2019 seasons. The station was able to stay in local sports broadcasting when it began simulcasting Fire games on ESPN+.

But the league announced a 10-year deal with Apple this week, becoming the first to go all-in with a streaming service. Any game picked up by a national TV network, such as ESPN or Fox, would be simulcast. Some games will be available for free on Apple TV, but most will be for subscribers to Apple TV+. There will be no blackouts.

The Fire’s exit from WGN isn’t as disappointing as that of the other teams in town, which had decadeslong relationships with the station. But it’s further evidence of the evolving sports-media landscape. The soccer club was upfront with the station about its potential departure, and the league essentially decided to cut the cord. More information, such as pricing, programming and broadcast teams, is forthcoming.

Here’s hoping Fire play-by-play voice Tyler Terens and analyst Tony Meola remain on the call. Terens is a terrific broadcaster. He has a great voice and strong presence, he commands the broadcast and he knows the game. Meola, a National Soccer Hall of Famer, provides knowledge and levity.

Remote patrol

Sox fans won’t have a local broadcast available for two of the three games this weekend in Houston. The game Friday night will air on Apple TV with Melanie Newman, Hannah Keyser, Chris Young and Brooke Fletcher on the call. The game Sunday night is on ESPN with Karl Ravech, David Cone, Eduardo Perez and Buster Olney. ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” will feature Bob Guerrero, a longtime wrestling coach in the western suburbs. The show, which will air at 8 a.m. Saturday, tells the story of Guerrero’s miraculous recovery from COVID-19.Read More

The curious absence of Bears veteran defensive end Robert Quinn lasted all three days of mandatory minicamp, making him the only player to skip. The team is permitted to fine him a total of $95,877.

Coach Matt Eberflus made clear it was unexcused and he wanted Quinn, his most accomplished and highest-paid player, on the field this week. But he’ll put that frustration on hold for now.

“I don’t have emotion with that either way,” Eberflus said Thursday. “When Robert is here, I’ll talk to him. Him and I will sit down and visit man-to-man and we’ll go from there.”

Quinn set the franchise record with 18.5 sacks last season and has three years left on his contract.

There have been persistent trade rumors about Quinn since general manager Ryan Poles took over, but he has given no indication that he plans to deal him. Quinn also said in April he did not want to be traded.

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While many NFL teams decided to finish minicamp business on Wednesday, several teams practiced through Thursday, using the final day of mandatory minicamps to have some fun and pay tribute to the past.

The Chicago Bears did the latter on Thursday, as every player wore No. 41 as a remembrance of fullback Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer on June 16, 1970, and was the subject of the movie “Brian’s Song.” As far as fun is concerned, the New Orleans Saints unleashed a brand-new alternate helmet while the Carolina Panthers celebrated the end of minicamp with some bouncy-house fun.

This week has been the busiest of the minicamp season, as 17 teams conducted their workouts. Last week saw 12 teams participate in minicamps, with the Miami Dolphins going earlier and the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles choosing not to have mandatory minicamps.

Here are some snapshots, many from ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters who are on the scene at this week’s activities, from Thursday’s minicamps:

Jump to the best of the day:
Photos | Videos | Quotes

Top news of the day

Bears players wear Brian Piccolo jerseys at minicamp on anniversary of his death
On the final day of mandatory minicamp, all 90 Chicago Bears players wore No. 41 jerseys at practice to honor Brian Piccolo, who died 52 years ago Thursday from cancer. Piccolo, who played for the Bears from 1966-69, was 26 years old at the time of his death in 1970. His close relationship with Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers was the subject of the movie “Brian’s Song,” which chronicled their friendship as the first interracial roommates in the NFL. The Bears initially planned to honor Piccolo on the 50th anniversary of his death, but the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated offseason practices in 2020.

Lamar Jackson not saying how he’ll handle training camp, season without new contract
Jackson said he spoke with the Baltimore Ravens about his contract situation this week, but the former NFL MVP was noncommittal about whether he would report to training camp or play at the start of the season without a new deal. Jackson, though, expressed confidence when asked if he believed he would play in Baltimore for the rest of his career. “I expect so,” Jackson said Thursday. “So, yes, I do.”

Patrick Mahomes says he was ‘surprised’ by Tyreek Hill’s critical comments
Patrick Mahomes said Thursday he was surprised by the comments made by Tyreek Hill on a recent podcast that were critical of him and the Chiefs. “I’m surprised a little just because I feel like we love Tyreek here,” Mahomes said as the Chiefs finished their offseason program. “We’ve always loved him. We still love him. I saw him out at Formula 1 in Miami. I’m sure it had something to do with trying to get his podcast some stuff and get it rolling.”

Cleveland Browns officially name Catherine Raiche assistant GM
The Browns officially announced the hiring of Catherine Raiche as their assistant general manager Thursday, keeping her as the NFL’s highest-ranking woman football executive. The Browns also announced the promotion of Glenn Cook to assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel. Cook is in his seventh year with the team.

Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick: My duty to perform after signing big new deal
After just a few weeks of negotiations, the Steelers made Fitzpatrick the NFL’s highest-paid safety with a four-year extension worth more than $18.4 million per year. Not only is Fitzpatrick, 25, the highest paid at his position, but the Steelers’ defense is among the league’s most expensive in both cash and cap value. But that money doesn’t motivate the defense to perform, Fitzpatrick said Thursday. Instead, it affirms their duty to perform to a standard expected with a paycheck that large.

More NFL headlines:

Chiefs’ Chris Jones has Defensive Player of Year award on his mind

Best videos

Quotes of the day

Best photos

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While Justin Fields is the focal point of the Bears’ offseason and their long-term trajectory, the team is similarly depending on linebacker Roquan Smith to continue his ascent and take charge of running the new defense.

As coach Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams. transition the defense to a 4-3 scheme with all new terminology and assignments, they need Smith to orchestrate everything once the call is made the Bears line up against their offense. Smith has been at every offseason practice, dating back to the optional minicamp in April, and has put the coaches at ease with his command of the defense.

“He’s a very good player, and we’re gonna rely on him a lot to lead the defense,” Eberflus said after practice Thursday. “He’s done a good job of changing and adjusting his body so far, and he’s got five more weeks [until training camp] to show he’s gonna keep getting better and better in the defense.

“You can see him in practice — he’s starting to call things out because he knows where he fits in the defense and he’s getting more comfortable with it. And you can see him starting to turn it loose. That’s encouraging to me and Alan.”

Smith, just 25, is one of the most valuable pieces former general managerRyan Paceleft the new administration and he’s been excellent throughout his four seasons. He likely will be looking for a contract extension around five years, $100 million before the season starts, and general managerRyan Poleshas indicated he has every intention of securing Smith’s future.

Smith said in April he “absolutely” plans to be with the Bears long term.

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The Cubs gave Frank Schwindel a rest day Thursday, after his third relief outing of the season.

OK, it was probably more because the first baseman had been in the starting lineup for eight straight games, a grueling stretch for the Cubs amid a losing streak. But at least Thursday morning, as the team was trying to put that abysmal stretch and a 19-5 loss to the Padres behind them, Schwindel was game to play along with the pitcher-interview bit.

“I mixed in a four-pitch mix yesterday, plus and minus speeds,” Schwindel deadpanned, “but, I don’t know, they’ve just been all over me.”

Schwindel has become the Cubs’ go-to position player to take the mound in blowout losses. And he’s had plenty of opportunities lately. He finished two of the Cubs’ last four games, while de-facto closer David Robertson hasn’t appeared since last Friday.

It’s a unique position for Schwindel to be in. He’s helped provide an offensive boost against the Padres this series, going 4-for-12 in the first three games. But on Wednesday, Schwindel was also the pitcher no one wanted to see on the mound.

“It was fun the first time,” Schwindel said, “But now — nobody likes getting beat like that — so, it’s like, ‘Alright, here we go,’ and then try to get out of it as soon as possible and get the guys off the field.”

The story of how Schwindel became the Cubs’ regular position-player pitcher starts in Cincinnati, a week before his first relief appearance.

The Reds were pummeling the Cubs on the last day of a four-game set. It was time to cut their losses and at least save the bullpen from unnecessary wear and tear.

Originally, Schwindel said, they were considering putting catcher P.J. Higgins on the mound and Schwindel, the Cubs’ emergency catcher, behind the plate.

“I’ll just pitch if you want me to,” Schwindel remembers offering.

In the end, shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who reached 10 years of service time that day, got to celebrate the milestone with his first chance on the mound.

Simmons, it turns out, is a much better shortstop than pitcher. He allowed five runs in his one inning on the bump. So, Schwindel was next in line for the Cubs’ next blowout loss. And the next. And the next.

“I got some good hitters out though,” said Schwindel, ever the optimist. “[Padres star Manny] Machado’s going to be a Hall of Famer. Got him out. [Yankees slugger Giancarlo] Stanton the other day.”

But that first career strikeout has been elusive.

“I had two two-strike counts,” Schwindel said, “couldn’t execute.”

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While many NFL teams decided to finish minicamp business on Wednesday, several teams practiced through Thursday, using the final day of mandatory minicamps to have some fun and pay tribute to the past.

The Chicago Bears did the latter on Thursday, as every player wore No. 41 as a remembrance of fullback Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer on June 16, 1970, and was the subject of the movie “Brian’s Song.” As far as fun is concerned, the New Orleans Saints unleashed a brand-new alternate helmet while the Carolina Panthers celebrated the end of minicamp with some bouncy-house fun.

This week has been the busiest of the minicamp season, as 17 teams conducted their workouts. Last week saw 12 teams participate in minicamps, with the Miami Dolphins going earlier and the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles choosing not to have mandatory minicamps.

Here are some snapshots, many from ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters who are on the scene at this week’s activities, from Thursday’s minicamps:

Jump to the best of the day:
Photos | Videos | Quotes

Top news of the day

Bears players wear Brian Piccolo jerseys at minicamp on anniversary of his death
On the final day of mandatory minicamp, all 90 Chicago Bears players wore No. 41 jerseys at practice to honor Brian Piccolo, who died 52 years ago Thursday from cancer. Piccolo, who played for the Bears from 1966-69, was 26 years old at the time of his death in 1970. His close relationship with Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers was the subject of the movie “Brian’s Song,” which chronicled their friendship as the first interracial roommates in the NFL. The Bears initially planned to honor Piccolo on the 50th anniversary of his death, but the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated offseason practices in 2020.

Lamar Jackson not saying how he’ll handle training camp, season without new contract
Jackson said he spoke with the Baltimore Ravens about his contract situation this week, but the former NFL MVP was noncommittal about whether he would report to training camp or play at the start of the season without a new deal. Jackson, though, expressed confidence when asked if he believed he would play in Baltimore for the rest of his career. “I expect so,” Jackson said Thursday. “So, yes, I do.”

Patrick Mahomes says he was ‘surprised’ by Tyreek Hill’s critical comments
Patrick Mahomes said Thursday he was surprised by the comments made by Tyreek Hill on a recent podcast that were critical of him and the Chiefs. “I’m surprised a little just because I feel like we love Tyreek here,” Mahomes said as the Chiefs finished their offseason program. “We’ve always loved him. We still love him. I saw him out at Formula 1 in Miami. I’m sure it had something to do with trying to get his podcast some stuff and get it rolling.”

Cleveland Browns officially name Catherine Raiche assistant GM
The Browns officially announced the hiring of Catherine Raiche as their assistant general manager Thursday, keeping her as the NFL’s highest-ranking woman football executive. The Browns also announced the promotion of Glenn Cook to assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel. Cook is in his seventh year with the team.

Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick: My duty to perform after signing big new deal
After just a few weeks of negotiations, the Steelers made Fitzpatrick the NFL’s highest-paid safety with a four-year extension worth more than $18.4 million per year. Not only is Fitzpatrick, 25, the highest paid at his position, but the Steelers’ defense is among the league’s most expensive in both cash and cap value. But that money doesn’t motivate the defense to perform, Fitzpatrick said Thursday. Instead, it affirms their duty to perform to a standard expected with a paycheck that large.

More NFL headlines:

Chiefs’ Chris Jones has Defensive Player of Year award on his mind

Best videos

Quotes of the day

Best photos

Read More

In 2018, Ted Williams III, a political science professor at City Colleges of Chicago, decided to take a well-timed sabbatical. The Ashburn resident spent his time off mulling over how to commemorate the 400-year anniversary of African Americans’ arrival in America.

The first instinct, as a scholar, would be some sort of academic conference detailing that history, beginning in 1619.

“I started working on it, and then I said, ‘This is not what I want to do,'” Williams, 45, says with a laugh.

Instead, Williams, who is an actor and has a love for the performing arts, decided to merge his interests to create what became “1619: The Journey of a People, the Musical.”

With the help of several grants, the production opened in August 2019 at Kennedy-King College, in commemoration of the anniversary of the datewhen the first enslaved Africans arrived in America.

The musical returns to Chicago at the Vittum Theater, with performances over Juneteenth weekend and also on July 23.

Juneteenth celebrates and examines the date in 1865 when African Americans first learned of their freedom from the Emancipation Proclamation, which was issued two years prior. (The holiday is June 19, though the federal holiday is being observed on Monday this year.)

Pulitzer Prize winner Nikole Hannah Jones launched her “1619 Project” at the same time, but Williams said had no idea her project was in the works when he created his musical. While he initially reached out to her to collaborate, nothing materialized, although the two will now work together on an upcoming panel at Northern Illinois University.

“The interesting part was, for me, as a person of color who worked in the academic space, it was a no-brainer for me to engage around this anniversary,” Williams said.

The production has been presented at colleges around the country. Williams describes it as a rumination through the ages on what it means to be a Black American, through hip-hop, jazz and blues music.

During the pandemic, Williams, who also produced the show, partnered with the DuSable Museum and WBEZ radio to present the musical virtually.

He is looking forward to continuing to perform the musical and engage students in three Chicago Public Schools this fall, and a cast album will be available for purchase for the first time this Juneteenth.

“I’m constantly concerned [about] the issues of violence and the issues of economic disparities and all of those issues. And so the show is just really a manifestation of that,” he says. “The doors just opened wide and we’re looking forward to continuing and really kind of being in more spaces and more places to share the story.”

While Williams hesitated to reveal many details of the musical before this weekend’s run, it does include the spirits of famous Black figures — from Booker T. Washington to Fred Hampton to Colin Kaepernick –debating the African American journey.

He even hints at a hip-hop debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois done through modern characters.

“We are really looking at what is the way to go forward? And what is our current condition now and how do we deal in this nation, that has been a real dichotomy for us,” Williams notes. “On one hand, it’s the land of opportunity. On the other hand, it’s the land of oppression and suffering.”

Williams says spreading this Black history in public schools is crucial to the future of Black America, and the response he’s received from students has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It is so, so critical that this history is not just for a month, or for a day,” he says. “But that it is celebrated all year round.”

Here are some Chicago-area celebrations planned for Juneteenth:

DuSable Museum’s Juneteenth BBQ and Block Party: Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 57th Place. Presented in part by Chicago’s Chance the Rapper. Art, food and fashion will be celebrated at this all-day event.M.A.D.D Rhythms Celebrates Juneteenth: The Celebration: Sunday, 1 p.m., Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. Martin Luther King Drive. Free. A host of performances, along with local Bronzeville businesses and activities for the kids. Congo Square Theatre hosts Festival on the Square: Sunday, 1 p.m., Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St. Free. Featuring live music, dance, theatrical performances and a market featuring Black-owned businesses. Followed by the Vision Benefit at 6 p.m., tickets are $250.1865 Fest’s Juneteenth Celebration: Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Garfield Park, 300 N. Central Park Ave. Free.Celebrate Juneteenth at the Field: Monday, 11 a.m., The Field Museum. Michelle Duster, great-granddaughter of Ida B. Wells, will speak on Wells’ connection to the 1893 World’s Fair and Chicago. Free admission to Field on Monday.Far South Community Development Corporation Juneteenth Festival: Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., 11420 S. Halsted St. Online registration is required for this free event, celebrating the Far South Side communities with live performances, food from Black-owned restaurants, small businesses and a Kid’s Fun Zone.Juneteenth in Bronzeville 2022: A day to celebrate freedom, culture, education and the arts in Chicago: Saturday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., 3521 South King Drive. Admission free, some activities require tickets. “Freedom for Everyone: Slavery and Abolition in 19th Century America”: Northwestern University, Deering Library, 1937 Sheridan Rd, Evanston. Free Admission. Rarely exhibited documents from the life of Frederick Douglass, from enslavement to freedom. Exhibit runs through end of year.Juneteenth: A Celebration for the Summer: Sunday, 10 a.m to 4 p.m., Lindblom Park, 6054 S. Damen Ave. Food giveaways, softball game, and performances by Joe Bar and The Platinum Band, and 1st Lady Maddy B. Derrick Old School. Information: (773) 567-1805.Evanston Juneteenth Celebration: Saturday, 10 a.m. Juneteenth Parade steps off at Robert Crown Community Center, 1801 Main St. Party at noon, Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.St. Benedict Parish Juneteenth Celebration: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., St. Benedict Parish Courtyard, 3900 N. Leavitt St. Free. Read More