Commemorating Juneteenth: Resources

Protest anthem by Twin Cities choir Sounds of Blackness, inspired by George Floyd and Fannie Lou Hamer

"The design of the Juneteenth flag depicts a bursting new star on the horizon. The star represents a new freedom, a new people, a new star. The red, white and blue colors communicate that the American Slaves, and their descendants were all Americans."
The Juneteenth flag was created in order to signify and solidify the holiday for all Americans, and the Juneteenth flag is most noted for its distinct colors and shapes. Over two decades since its creation, people across the country are still utilizing the flag as a symbol of liberty and freedom for Black Americans.

PBS Juneteenth Jamboree

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 in the classroom with lesson plans, books, and more resources.

Juneteenth celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the South.

Today millions of Americans have taken to the streets to protest racial injustice in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans. The protest movement sparked an ongoing dialogue around systemic racism and police brutality all of which stem from the century old list of dreams deferred post the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865.

The protests also raised attention to the importance of the freedoms that Juneteenth celebrates.
With 144 million Americans fully vaccinated from COVID-19, many will gather across the country to celebrate Juneteenth with parties, music, festivals and parades in person after celebrating virtually in 2020.
Click above for more information on why Juneteenth is now so celebrated.

uneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, is officially a federal holiday after President Biden signed a bill passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when, more than a month after the last battle of the Civil War, Union soldiers brought news to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas that they were emancipated. The date has been celebrated by Black Americans ever since, first in Texas and eventually throughout the United States. Check with the library to verify that these titles are available: library@mccc.edu

On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s historic Emancipation Proclamation, U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were now free. Granger commanded the Headquarters District of Texas, and his troops had arrived in Galveston the previous day.
This day has come to be known as Juneteenth, a combination of June and 19th. It is also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, and it is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

The official handwritten record of General Order No. 3, is preserved at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. A copy can be seen by clicking on the link above for the National Archives.