This Saturday, Americans will celebrate Juneteenth with parades, rallies, festivals and other gatherings.
One Chicago man is marking the day by encouraging people to support Black-owned restaurants in Chicago and Atlanta.
"We will have Black-owned restaurants in Chicago and Atlanta offering ... specials ... Friday and Saturday to commemorate Juneteenth and to generate money for the Black-owned restaurant community," said Black People Eats founder, Jeremy Joyce.
Jeremy Joyce is the founder of Black People Eats, which connects people to Black-owned food and beverage companies. He's hosting his second annual Juneteenth restaurant celebration. More than 100 restaurants are participating and offering specials for $6.19 or $16.19 Friday and Saturday. Last year, the event brought in more than $500,000 for Black-owned restaurants. This year, Joyce says he hopes to top that.
"We really wanted the food to be the glue that unites all people together," Joyce said. "If we continue to support our community, they can stay afloat."
Along with the restaurant campaign, Joyce has a grant programthat supports Black-owned restaurants that have been financially impacted by the pandemic.
Last year, he raised $100,000. This year he hopes to raise $250,000 to give 10 restaurants $25,000 each.
