TCCL Celebrates: Juneteenth

Celebrate Juneteenth by learning more about it with these books and free digital resources!

What is Juneteenth? How did it start?

Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated by African Americans throughout the United States on June 19. Also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, the holiday commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. Specifically, Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas learned that they had been freed under President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Union Major General Gordon Granger announced the contents of the proclamation in Galveston, Texas, informing the slaves present that slavery had been outlawed in the state. As time went on, the holiday also came to symbolize social and legal progress for the African American community. Juneteenth has been recognized as an official state holiday in most regions of the United States. The US started the process of making Juneteenth a federal holiday in June 2021.

The information above was found in Explora. Click HERE, then select Ebsco/Explora Database to log in with your last name and TCCL card number. Search for Juneteenth to find the topic overview.

How is Juneteenth celebrated?

The first generation of freed slaves, who knew intimately the anguish and degradations of slavery, celebrated exuberantly. Money and resources were scarce, but Black Texans went all out to celebrate heartily. Most Black people took the day off from labor to participate in the festivities. Festivities included rodeos, fishing, barbecuing, and baseball. All too frequently, African Americans were prevented from holding Juneteenth celebrations in public spaces, thus activities tended to occur at churches or near rivers and lakes.

Juneteenth celebrants wore their best clothes, though good clothes were a scarcity, and prepared lavish meals that were generously shared with family and friends. In those early years, Juneteenth was exclusively an African American event and known primarily among Black Americans, with the exception of some white landowners who gave them the day off to celebrate and sometimes contributed money and food. In some parts of Texas, Black people purchased property, like Booker T. Washington Park located in Mexia, Texas, where they could celebrate Juneteenth year after year.

The information above was found in the African American Experience resource. Click HERE, then select African American Experience from the alphabetical list to log in with your last name and TCCL card number. Search for Juneteenth to find the reference article, which contains more information on Juneteenth celebrations.

More digital resources about Juneteenth are available in eLibrary. Click HERE, then select eLibrary from the alphabetical list to log in with your last name and TCCL card number and search for Juneteenth.

Books about Juneteenth

For adults

For kids