Embrace the History of Freedom Day

On June 19, 1865, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln emancipated enslaved Africans in America, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas with news of freedom.

This day came to be known as Juneteenth, now officially a federal holiday. Juneteenth is a time to celebrate, gather as a family, reflect on the past and look to the future.

The observance of Juneteenth is about the journey and achievement of African Americans—from a horrific period of sanctioned enslavement to the pinnacle of human endeavors. It is a story of pride, resilience and determination that will always be of historical and spiritual importance—as it serves us well to understand that together, we can overcome all obstacles in our path.

Juneteenth.com

Learn more about Juneteenth and why it is important

WebbChat Episode 9: Juneteenth

Several members of the Gardner-Webb community gather together to have a dialogue about the impact of Juneteenth for their lives. Guests for this episode include:

  • Lawrence Brinson, Director of Diversity & Inclusion for GWU (show moderator)
  • Dr. LaDonna Clark, Assistant Professor, Principal Faculty for Physician Assistant Studies at GWU, Diversity/Equity/Inclusion chair
  • Verhonda Crawford Diehl, chair, GWU Board of Trustees Marketing Committee, VC Consulting

How To Celebrate Juneteenth

Here are some ways you can thoughtfully celebrate and recognize Juneteenth and continue to support the Black community beyond Juneteenth.

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Milton Williams Archives, ©Milton Williams
  • Learn the history of Juneteenth.

  • Visit a museum.

  • Watch a movie or documentary.
  • Read books written by Black authors and poets.

  • Listen to audiobooks written or narrated by Black authors and poets.

  • Support Black-owned businesses.

  • Eat at or buy a gift card from Black-owned restaurants.

  • Donate to Black-led nonprofits and community organizations.

  • Talk to your kids about race.

View More Ways To Celebrate

Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.

Frederick Douglass

Juneteenth Resources

Juneteenth Reading List

The National Museum of African American History & Culture's Top Picks

Explore the books on their expert's must-read list — curated just for you.

Engage With History and Spark Your Imagination

A BLACK WOMEN’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

Daina Berry and Kali Gross

This book is a compact, exceptionally diverse introduction to the history of Black women, from the first African woman who arrived in America to the women of today.

WE WERE EIGHT YEARS IN POWER: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY

Ta – Nehisi Coates

A collection of Coates’ essays originally printed in The Atlantic Magazine between 2008 – 2016 over the course of the Obama administration. Each essay is introduced with the author’s reflections.

THE SUBSTANCE OF HOPE

William Jelani Cobb

Obama’s election in 2008 was remarkable because he won 90 percent of the Black vote in the primaries despite Black leadership’s support of Clinton. This book focuses on how this happened, and the implications it holds for America’s politics and social landscape.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS (Originally Published 1881)

Frederick Douglass

Raised as a plantation slave, Douglass went on to become a writer, orator, and major participant in the struggle for African American freedom and equality. In this engrossing narrative he recounts early years of abuse, his dramatic escape to the North and eventual freedom, abolitionist campaigns, and his crusade for full civil rights for former slaves.

STONY THE ROAD: RECONSTRUCTION, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND THE RISE OF JIM CROW

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

A social and intellectual history of the time between Reconstruction and the rise of the Jim Crow period of American History.

ON JUNETEENTH

Annette Gordon-Reed

Texas native Gordon-Reed weaves together her American and family history into a historian’s view of the country’s long road to Juneteenth, from its origins in Texas to Reconstruction, through Jim Crow and beyond.

FOUR HUNDRED SOULS

Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain

A “community” history of African Americans written by 90 writers that cover the 400-year journey of African Americans from 1619 to the present

ENVISIONING EMANCIPATION: BLACK AMERICANS AND THE END OF SLAVERY

Barbara Krauthamer and Deborah Willis

Using photos, this book illustrates what freedom looked like for Black Americans in the Civil War era. These portraits of Black families and workers in the American South challenge perceptions of slavery.

MORE BEAUTIFUL AND MORE TERRIBLE: THE EMBRACE AND TRANSCENDENCE OF RACIAL INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES

Imani Perry

Perry draws upon the insights and tools of critical race theory, social policy, law, sociology, and cultural studies to demonstrate how postintentional racism works, but also identifies a place of hope.

THE WARMTH OF OTHER SUNS

Isabel Wilkerson

A chronicle of the decades-long migration of Black citizens who, during the twentieth century, fled the south for northern and western cities in search of a better life.

CONJURE WOMEN

Afia Atakora

A sweeping story of a mother and daughter that brings the world of the South before and after the Civil War vividly to life.

LIBERTE: A NOVEL

Kaitlyn Greenridge

Set in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn, this an unforgettable story about one young Black girl’s attempt to find a place where she can be fully, and only, herself.

Inspired by the life of one of the first Black female doctors in the United States and rich with historical detail, this novel presents a deep, moving, and lyrical dive into our past.

THE WEARY BLUES (Originally Published 1926)

Langston Hughes

This debut poetry collection was published when Hughes was just 24 years old. He stated that his poetic philosophy speaks not only for himself, but also the whole African American population. The book is split into seven thematic sections: The Weary Blues, Dream Variations, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, A Black Pierrot, Water Front Streets, Shadows in the Sun, and Our Land.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Colson Whitehead

This thrilling, allegorical tale of escape from slavery in the American deep south contains extraordinary prose and a powerful meditation on the history we all share.

The Underground Railroad is now streaming as a limited series.

AFRICAN AMERICAN POETRY 50 YEARS OF STRUGGLE & SONG

Kevin Young, Editor

Set in a historical and literary framework in eight chronological sections, this anthology covers African American poetry from 1770 through today.

Whet Your Appetite

HIGH ON THE HOG: A CULINARY JOURNEY FROM AFRICATO AMERICA

Jessica B. Harris

A critically acclaimed history of African American cuisine from popular cookbook author Jessica B. Harris, this book traces particular foods, cooking methods, food traditions and profiles individual cooks throughout American history; includes photographs and selected recipes. Note: Food writer Stephen Satterfield hosts a 4-episode docuseries based on this James Beard Award-winning that is now streaming.

BLACK SMOKE: AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE UNITED STATES OF BARBEQUE

Adrian Miller

A chronicle of how Black barbecuers, pit-masters, and restauranteurs helped develop this cornerstone of American foodways. It’s a smoke-filled story of Black perseverance, culinary innovation, and entrepreneurship. Though often pushed to the margins, African Americans have enriched a barbecue culture that has come to be embraced by all. This beautifully illustrated chronicle also features 22 barbecue recipes collected just for this book.

THE JEMIMA CODE: TWO CENTURIES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN COOKBOOKS

Toni Tipton-Martin

A historic overview of more than 150 Black cookbooks presented chronologically and abundantly illustrated. The stereotypical image of Aunt Jemima maligned generations of notable cooks and food writers, who brought knowledge and creativity to American cuisine.

WE ARE EACH OTHER’S HARVEST: CELEBRATING AFRICAN AMERICAN FARMERS, LAND, AND LEGACY

Natalie Baszile

In this impressive anthology, Natalie Baszile brings together essays, poems, photographs, quotes, conversations, and first-person stories to examine Black people’s connection to the American land from
Emancipation to today

To purchase these books or to view books for children ages birth – 8+ celebrating family, visit the NMAAHC website.

Additional Juneteenth Resources

The Smithsonian: Juneteenth – Senses of Freedom: Exploring the Tastes, Sounds and Experiences of an African American Celebration.

Junteenth Foundation – A non-profit organized by a group of professionals championing the celebration of Juneteenth.