Learning About Juneteenth
On Sunday June 19th, we observe Juneteenth across the country. It is a holiday full of history, both celebratory and shadowed by slavery and racism. It marks the date in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce freedom for all enslaved people in the state and is considered the effective end of slavery. The celebration spread outward from Texas and has become a chance to embrace Black culture, with food, music, prayer services, and more. Juneteenth was not officially recognized as a federal holiday until 2021, though it has been celebrated for far longer. If you'd like to take the time this Juneteenth to learn about the history behind it, explore this reading list of books (many for children) that share the story of the holiday. Click the links to request books through our catalog.
The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States, Alliah L. Agostini, illus. Sawyer Cloud
Juneteenth for Mazie, Floyd Cooper
Juneteenth, Lisa A. Crayton
Let's Celebrate Emancipation Day & Juneteenth, Barbara deRubertis
Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth, Alice Faye Duncan
Juneteenth: A Novel, Ralph Ellison
On Juneteenth, Annette Gordon-Reed
Juneteenth, Rachel Grack
Hidden Black History: From Juneteenth to Redlining, Amanda Jackson Green
What is Juneteenth?, Kirsti Jewel, illus. Manuel Guiterrez
All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom, Angela Johnson
Juneteenth, Denise M. Jordan
Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem, Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
Juneteenth: A Day to Celebrate Freedom From Slavery, Angela Leeper
Juneteenth, Joanna Ponto & Angela Leeper
Juneteenth, Vaunda Micheaux Nelson & Drew Nelson, illus. Mark Schroder
The Story of Juneteenth: An Interactive History Adventure, Steven Otfinoski
The Story Behind Juneteenth, Jack Reader
Come Juneteenth, Ann Rinaldi
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, Clint Smith
Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations, Nicole Taylor
Freedom's Blessings: A Juneteenth Story, Valerie Wilson Wesley
Juneteenth, Kevin P. Winn & Kelisa Wing
Juneteenth: Our Day of Freedom, Sharon Dennis Wyeth, illus. Kim Holt