Juneteenth: Home
Juneteenth
"On June 19, 1865 — nearly nine decades after our Nation’s founding, and more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free from bondage. As those who were formerly enslaved were recognized for the first time as citizens, Black Americans came to commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations across the country, building new lives and a new tradition that we honor today. In its celebration of freedom, Juneteenth is a day that should be recognized by all Americans. And that is why I am proud to have consecrated Juneteenth as our newest national holiday." (U.S. Department of State, 2022).
White House. (2021, June 18). A Proclamation On Juneteenth Day Of Observance, 2021 [Presidential action]. https://www.juneteenth.com/whitehouse/
The Meaning and Importance of Juneteenth
Articles from the library's databases:
- Who made Juneteenth? "In the article, the author discusses the story of the Juneteenth celebration in the U.S. that was originated in Galveston, Texas in 1865. According to history, African American Union soldiers in blue uniforms led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order Number 3 declaring freedom to slaves in the Confederate States. Also cited is how slave William Constley and his family were set free by President Abraham Lincoln in 1841."
- Why Juneteenth Matters "This holiday, which only became a nationwide celebration (among black Americans) in the 20th century, has grown in stature over the last decade as a result of key anniversaries (2011 to 2015 was the sesquicentennial of the Civil War), trends in public opinion (the growing racial liberalism of left-leaning whites), and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement."
Ralph Ellison's Juneteenth
Books from the library's collections:
Juneteenth by
From the author of bestselling Invisible Man--the classic novel of African-American experience--this long-awaited second novel tells an evocative tale of a prodigal of the twentieth century. Brilliantly crafted, moving, and wise, Juneteenth is the work of an American master. "Tell me what happened while there's still time," demands the dying Senator Adam Sunraider to the itinerate preacher whom he calls Daddy Hickman. As a young man, Sunraider was Bliss, an orphan taken in by Hickman and raised to be a preacher like himself. Bliss's history encompasses the joys of young southern boyhood; bucolic days as a filmmaker, lovemaking in a field in the Oklahoma sun. And behind it all lies a mystery: how did this chosen child become the man who would deny everything to achieve his goals? Here is the master of American vernacular at the height of his powers, evoking the rhythms of jazz and gospel and ordinary speech. "An extraordinary book, a work of staggering virtuosity. With its publication, a giant world of literature has just grown twice as tall." --Newsday
ISBN: 9780375707544Publication Date: 2000-06-13
- History in Ralph Ellison's Juneteenth. "Ralph Ellison's second novel, Juneteenth, echoes one of the crucial themes of his first--how stories get told, whose stories should be told and what history is to be believed. A novel about liberation, Juneteenth explores much more than a day in history. It argues for the necessity to keep the past in the present, through celebration, art and remembrance."
Juneteenth - Podcasts
- 'On Juneteenth' Historian Examines The 'Hope' And 'Hostility' Toward Emancipation "Juneteenth celebrates the day slavery ended in Texas, June 19, 1865. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed studies the early American republic and the legacy of slavery."
- 153 Years of Juneteenth "Although, the Emancipation Proclamation - which changed the federal legal status of 3.5 Million people from slave to free - was signed on January 1, 1863, news of their change in status did not reach the enslaved people in the southern states immediately. June 19, 1865 was the day the last group of enslaved people were set free in Galveston, Texas."
Juneteenth - Videos
- Celebrating Juneteenth: The Legacy of Frederick Douglass "What did the nation look like in the years following the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of African Americans? In a special conversation to celebrate Juneteenth, historians David W. Blight and Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. (moderator) delve into the life of one of the most important figures of the 19th century, writer, orator, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and how his legacy continues to resonate today. "
- Celebrating Juneteenth with the Solomon Sir Jones films "The Rev. Solomon Sir Jones recorded this 1925 Juneteenth parade in Texas. A collection of his films, 29 in all, held by Yale’s Beinecke Library, provides a rich record of African-American life in the 1920s. The full collection has been digitized for free, public viewing."
- Why all Americans should honor Juneteenth "An historian explains the history and significance of the holiday. "
Juneteenth
Signing of Law Honoring Juneteenth, Boston, June 16, 2007.
Deval Patrick (center-right), governor of Massachusetts, hands over a bill he signed into law to honor Juneteenth, a commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. State Senator Dianne Wilkerson (left), and State Representatives Willie Mae Allen (center-left) and Gloria Fox (right), lead sponsor of the bill, applaud the legislative acknowledgment of the ritual of Juneteenth. AP IMAGES/LISA POOLE.