Research: Juneteenth: Juneteenth

Topic Overview

Image source: Image by Wynn Pointaux from Pixabay

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This festival is held in many African American and other communities annually. The name of the festival refers to June 19. Juneteenth festivities often include family reunions, parades, plays, and storytelling. Some communities hold longer Juneteenth festivals that span several days as a celebration of civil rights and freedom. Juneteenth is a federal holiday observed in the District of Columbia and by federal employees throughout the United States. In addition, all of the states have recognized Juneteenth in an official capacity.

The festival originated in Texas at the end of the American Civil War (1861-1865). In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared freedom for the enslaved people in the Confederate States in rebellion against the Union. However, many slaveholders in Texas suppressed information about the emancipation even after the war ended in April 1865. On June 19, 1865, Gordon Granger, a Union general, entered Galveston, Texas, and ordered all enslaved people in the state to be freed. About 250,000 enslaved people, among the last remaining in the United States, were freed.

Emancipation Proclamation

Juneteenth celebrations were held only in Texas and a few communities in other states in the South in the years following the war. African Americans carried the celebration with them as they migrated to other regions. Today, Juneteenth festivals have become popular celebrations of freedom and African American culture in many communities throughout the country. Texas became the first U.S. state to recognize Juneteenth officially, in 1980. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. In some places, Juneteenth is called Black Independence Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or Jubilee Day.

Source: Pratt, Robert A. "Juneteenth." World Book Student, 2024, www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar749712. Accessed 29 May 2024.

In the Library

Stop by the libraries to see our Juneteenth displays!

Juneteenth books in the MSHS Library: Please visit the library catalog first and then open the link to Juneteenth books https://lmc.isb.cn/cataloging/servlet/presentbooklistform.do?listID=13369375

Useful Websites

Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938
From the Library of Congress, this website contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves. These narratives were collected in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project (FWP) of the Works Progress Administration, later renamed Work Projects Administration (WPA).
Emancipation Proclamation
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This research guide compiles digital materials at the Library of Congress, links to related external websites, and a print bibliography.
Juneteenth
From the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Explore a wealth of articles, images, recordings, films, videos, and primary sources explaining and celebrating Juneteenth.
Juneteenth: The History of a Holiday
From The New York Times. Learn about the history of the holiday and how people celebrate today.
Podcast - The Truth About Juneteenth
June 19th is traditionally embraced as the day in 1863 when slaves in Texas learned they'd been freed. But historian Hari Jones, Assistant Director of the African-American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C., says many are misinformed about the true significance of the holiday.
Slavery Didn't End On Juneteenth. What You Should Know About This Important Day
From the National Public Radio service in the US. Read about how the emancipation announcement came two months after the effective conclusion of the Civil War, but many enslaved Black people in Texas still weren't free, even after that day.

How to Celebrate

Greet someone:
Wish people a “Happy Juneteenth” or “Happy Teenth”

Educate yourself:
Read a book or visit a museum online (see links above)

Be an ally:
Allies should reflect on their role in upholding racism and white supremacy, work to dismantle them, use their privilege to support Black communities and fight against racism daily.

Watch some shows and movies:

Juneteenth Jamboree
Juneteenth Jamboree illuminates the significance of the Juneteenth holiday and shares stories about black culture and history. You can view this year’s episodes and an archive of past years for free through the PBS website.

13th
Director Ava Duvernay's documentary "13th" explores the loophole in the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which allows a form of slavery through criminal punishment. The film delves into the American incarceration system and its role in perpetuating systemic racism. This piercing, Oscar-nominated film won Best Documentary at the Emmys, the BAFTAs and the NAACP Image Awards.

Miss Juneteenth
A former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant. Available through streaming platforms.

Library Databases

View the databases below to find reliable and peer-reviewed articles and media. Databases are available on campus and may require a password to access from home. Open the password link below.

ISB Database Usernames and Passwords
Click to view passwords of ISB's library databases. You must be logged into your MS365 account to view this document.

ABC-CLIO Daily Life through History This link opens in a new window
Daily Life through History explores the daily lives of ordinary people through time and across the globe, providing details about family life, work, food, clothing, sports, language, literature, romance, education, gender roles, social customs, and more.
ABC-Clio World History: The Modern Era This link opens in a new window
World History: The Modern Era provides for comprehensive study of the emergence of the modern world, covering the history of the world from 1500 to the present. Students will learn about the evolution of modern Europe since the Renaissance; concurrent developments in Asia, Africa, and the Islamic world; the global impact of the Industrial Revolution; revolutions in France and Latin America; imperialism; nationalism; World Wars I and II; growing global powers, and more. Off campus access: username: isbstudent, password: isbstudent. You can also log in via Clever.
Gale in Context - Middle School This link opens in a new window
Content is written explicitly for middle school students on a variety of topics, including government, U.S. and world history, geography, literature, science, and social issues.
Off-Campus access password: resource
History Today This link opens in a new window
Publications by the world's leading scholars, on all periods, regions and themes of history.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
A growing digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.
Oxford Very Short Introductions This link opens in a new window
The perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Discover a new topic or subject with these intelligent and serious introductions written by authors who are experts in their field. Off-campus access: open link after turning on the Cisco app.
ProQuest Databases This link opens in a new window
This resource provides access to nearly 5,000 titles that offer global coverage on a wide range of subjects: arts, business, current events, education, health, language arts, sciences, social sciences, and more. It features a diversified mix of scholarly journals, trade publications, magazines, and newspapers. This link provides access to four ProQuest databases: Publicly Available Content Database‎, Research Library Prep‎, SIRS Issues Researcher‎, and the Coronavirus Research Database‎.
World Book This link opens in a new window
One of the best encyclopedias there is. Offers breaking news stories, and background in formation on a large number of topics.