Understanding Juneteenth
Learn About Juneteenth
Known also as African American Independence Day, Jubilee Day, or Freedom Day, Juneteenth is a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved Black people in America. Explore ways to commemorate June 19 with movies, books, and more resources.
The holiday is marked with parades and floats, prayer and dancing, food, and family. In Texas, Juneteenth has been an official holiday since 1979. By 2019, 48 states including the District of Columbia recognized Juneteenth. By 2020, only Texas had adopted the holiday as a paid holiday for state employees. In 2021, it was made a federal holiday, and many states declared Juneteenth a paid holiday for state employees including Minnesota, Illinois, New York, Washington, and Virginia. The links below offer an entry point into the history of the holiday, and its extra resonance this year.
What Is Juneteenth? –Delve into the history of the holiday with this article from Henry Louis Gates Jr.
This Is Why Juneteenth Is Important for America – This video from the Root describes the birth of Juneteenth.
Celebrating Juneteenth – In this video, the founding director of the National Museum of African American History & Culture, Smithsonian leads a tour through a Juneteenth exhibition.
Black-ish Juneteenth Animated Short — This animated short created for ABC’s Black-ish is full of education and satire.