Juneteenth has been an unofficial Independence Day since June 19, 1865, when a Union General was sent to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation President Lincoln had signed 2½ years prior. Since President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17th, 2021, Juneteenth is now a federally recognized holiday.
In honor of Juneteenth, we want to share some books you can read to better understand the story of slavery:
For Children
- Let’s Celebrate Juneteenth by Tonya Abari
- The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story by Glenda Armand
For Young Adults
- All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
For Adults
- On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
- The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
We deeply believe the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday is the right thing to do and it’s also important to remember that the creation of a national holiday does not excuse us from the work we need to do in our cities, states, communities, and the nation, to create a more equal life for Black Americans.
We all have work to do to right the wrongs in our society. Educating ourselves and our children is a great step forward.