Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, has been celebrated since 1865 when news of the end of the Civil War, and thus freedom, reached enslaved people in Texas. The day recognizes the end of slavery in the United States and has been celebrated by many Black Americans for generations. It is an observance of freedom, but it stands for much more than that. It’s a chance to share lived experiences, pass culture down through generations, and celebrate an ancestry of perseverance through years of injustices. All done with tones of both festivity and solemnity, Juneteenth is celebrated with parades, barbecues, and family togetherness.
Back in September of 2020, Santa Clara County Supervisors declared that June 19, 2021, would mark the first day that Juneteenth would be recognized as an official county holiday. And, just this week (June 17, 2021), the holiday was finally voted as an official federal holiday when it was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Biden.
The holiday is an important reminder to people that enslaved people fought, resisted their oppression, and consistently uplifted one another. It offers a time for people to discuss the complex history of slavery and racial injustice in the United States.
While the conversation regarding the maltreatment of Black Americans has been on the table since before the foundation of the country itself, the past year has shown how necessary conversations about racial injustice are. It’s important for people to deconstruct history to fully understand its truth instead of the depiction long passed along in history textbooks.
Reading books about slavery or about Juneteenth is a great way to understanding more about it. There are many books on the topic from children’s stories to historical romance that help shed light on slavery and on the holiday that celebrates its ending.
Black and Bookish, a blog that provides a “full-service experience into Black Literary Arts,” offers a list of books that celebrate Juneteenth and are appropriate for a wide variety of ages. The list includes books written by notable authors such as Ralph Ellison and children’s illustrator Floyd Cooper.
PBS offers a list of prominent Black authors, and some of their most noteworthy titles, including gay, Black author James Baldwin and Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize winner, Toni Morrison. These folks, who explored racism fearlessly in their works, have inspired the generations that follow them with their bold works.
Check out both resources or do your own search to dive deeper into your understanding of Black history, slavery in the U.S., and Juneteenth. If you’re interested in celebrating Juneteenth locally, Project MORE has a number of Juneteenth and related celebrations across Northern California. Find one that works for you under the “community events” tab on our Resources page here.