Juneteenth is a day of freedom, service, history and pride.
Today, Tomorrow …
Juneteenth - also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and Jubilee Day - is an unofficial U.S. holiday celebrated on June 19th, to commemorate the proclamation that all enslaved people in Texas were free. The Emancipation Proclamation formally freed enslaved people on January 1, 1863, but Union general Gordon Granger’s reading of those federal orders did not take place in Galveston, TX until June 19, 1865 - two and half years later.
Since 1865, Juneteenth (a portmanteau of June and nineteenth) is celebrated across the United States as a state holiday or special day of observance. It’s a day of freedom, service, history and pride.
And the Day After That
Let’s get into the abcs and xyzs of Juneteenth. Learn, explore and restore with these useful movements and resources - make sure to click the links!
a
A Celebration of Freedom by Charles A. Taylor - this book for grades 3-5 “effectively conveys the jubilation that occurred on June 19, 1865 when African American people in Texas were the last to be freed from the horrors of U.S. slavery …” - Goodreads
This is also a great time to introduce educational, inclusive books to this age group, such as Sammy Startup - a fun children’s book about the adventures of business and entrepreneurship by Jason Harvey and Saxton Moore; and Ambitious Girl - a book about how our power is limitless by Meena Harris and Marissa Valdez.
b
Black Lives Matter today, tomorrow and the day after that. In 2020, Juneteenth stood as a day of celebration and a day of protest in cities like Tulsa [OK], Atlanta [GA] and Washington, DC.
c
Companies like Amazon, Google Lyft, Target and Square announced that they will honor or recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday for their employees back in 2020. As of 2021, it is officially a federal holiday and national day of observation.
d
2020’s video Google Doodle, illustrated by Los Angeles-based guest artist Loveis Wise and narrated by actor and activist LeVar Burton, honors the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth.
e
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863 but it took two and a half years for this news to reach the enslaved men and women of Texas.
f
The Juneteenth Flag - designed by L.J. Graf - represents. “The colors red, white and blue echo the American flag to symbolize that the enslaved people and their descendants were Americans.” The star in the middle holds a dual meaning - a nod to Texas while also a “bursting new star on the horizon of the red and blue fields [which] represents a new freedom and a new people.” [Mental Floss 6.19.18]
g
General Orders No. 3 read that “the people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” - June 19, 1865
h
#HellaJuneteenth is a movement - started by Bay Area collective @WeHellaCreative - that provides actionable strategies for honoring Juneteenth.
i
Into the Fire [1861 - 1896] “examines the most tumultuous and consequential period in African American history: the Civil War and the end of slavery, and Reconstruction’s thrilling but tragically brief “moment in the sun.” [PBS]
j
Juneteenth by the Numbers looks at the important numbers associated with the holiday - like 13, the U.S. Constitutional amendment that abolished slavery and 200,000, the number of Black men that served in the Navy and Army on behalf of the Union in the Civil War.
k
Kamala Harris, Tony Dungy, Stacey Abrams, Martin Luther King, III and other Black leaders each share what Juneteenth means to them.
l
Listen to over 1800 Black independent musicians and artists on Bandcamp via this crowdsourced list. In 2020, Bandcamp gave its revenue share from all sales made on June 19th to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in solidarity with protesters.
m
Mascogo people live in Coahuila, Mexico; and as part of the African Diaspora, celebrate Juneteenth. The Mascogos - whose name translates to “Birth of the Blacks” - descend from enslaved people who escaped Southern plantations, fled to Florida (Black Seminoles) and were forced out along the Trail of Tears.
n
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation was founded in 1994 in the midst of the fight against police brutality - much like today. The Rev. Dr. Ronald Myers, in collaboration with fellow ministers, were inspired to create the NJOF after witnessing the horrific beating of Rodney King in 1992 and other mistreatments of Black people by police in New Orleans and nationwide.
o
Opal Lee of Fort Worth, TX is a 96 year-old activist, “Grandmother of Juneteenth” and advocate for making Juneteenth a federal holiday. In 2016 she started a walk across the country to spread the word and petition for change. In 2022, Juneteenth became an official federal holiday.
p
Please, I Can’t Breathe - in “Stolen Breaths,” leading voices in Public Health and Medicine discuss how “police violence, racial inequities in COVID-19, and other forms of structural racism are public health crises in the United States.” The quest for freedom continues. - Rachel R. Hardeman, Ph.D., M.P.H., Eduardo M. Medina, M.D., M.P.H., and Rhea W. Boyd, M.D., M.P.H. [NEJM 6.10.20]
q
Questlove, Black Thought and Michelle Obama hosted a virtual When We All Vote initiative as part of the 13th Annual Roots picnic on June 27, 2020. Today, the initiative is a “leading national, nonpartisan initiative on a mission to change the culture around voting and to increase participation in each and every election by helping to close the race and age gap.” Tune into The Roots YouTube Channel and checkout “I am a Slave” from Black-ish.
r
The Root discusses how Juneteenth was born and path of resistance and resilience since.
s
Sesquicentennial Juneteenth Jamboree - watch and honor the 150 year [2015] celebration on PBS Austin.
t
Texas was the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday. The Honorable Rep. Al Edwards - also known as “Mr. Juneteenth” and “The Father of Juneteenth” - introduced the bill that recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday.
u
Unreleased until recently, listen to a solo version of Aretha Franklin’s “Never Gonna Lose My Faith” ft. background vocals of The Boys Choir of Harlem [Sony’s RCA Records]
v
Virtual BBQ Juneteenth Celebration with Astronomy Club - Jimmy Fallon learns the history of Juneteenth with the cast of Netflix’s popular sketch comedy show.
w
Wanga Woman - CEO of ESSENCE Caroline Wanga - talks all things Black, particularly Black JOY and empowerment on the Breakfast Club.
We Are Teachers posted “17 Ideas for Teaching Juneteenth to Children” including age appropriate books and videos.
x
xoNecole - Millennial lifestyle and culture platform shared How Black Texans Celebrate Juneteenth. xoNecole has been a community for Black women and an important resource for many.
y
YOU can be a part of WE. Learn about Black History - which is American history. Join the movement. Be the voice and the change. Support local causes and organizations. And fight for the freedom of ALL.
Equal Justice Initiative - No Kid Hungry - Reclaim the Block
z
Zaliwa is the Swahili word for birth and manifestation. Today is the birth of a transformative freedom.
Happy Juneteenth!
“We wanted to use Juneteenth to call attention to the world that things are not right, and Black people are people too, and we want equal treatment for being people too … it’s a rallying cry for us.”