PEORIA, Ill. – The Peoria Park District says it is expressing “regret” over comments made during a discussion at its meeting last week.
In a statement released Thursday, the park district says it was not the “intent of the district or its representatives” to say Juneteenth was a political event at its October 2nd Board of Trustees meeting.
During that meeting, trustees raised concerns about the usage of a Detweiller Park shelter by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The concerns centered around the usage of park district property being used for “political activity” without board approval.
Executive Director Emily Cahill explained the shelter was used as a gathering place for the start of a parade to a different location for a rally, with no speeches given, and thus did not need trustee approval for its usage.
During the discussion, Cahill compared its usage as similar to one used in Martin Luther King Park during a Juneteenth celebration by the Peoria NAACP where a parade occurred. She implied during that discussion that the Juneteenth celebration could be argued by “some” as a political event.
In a letter dated October 3rd, the Peoria NAACP branch demanded an apology, saying the Juneteenth celebration was a “community event with many other community partners including the Peoria Park District.” The letter continued to say that “this false equivalency could damage not only our local branch but also our national association.”
The park district, in their statement, says it “sincerely values the productive partnership that it has with the local branch of the NAACP and expresses appreciation to its leaders who have given of their time to support District efforts as part of its Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. The District, and its leadership, look forward to continuing to partner to actively work to make Peoria a great place to live for all.”
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