Juneteenth: A Brief History
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure all enslaved people were freed. As the news spread, so too did the celebrations – Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, or Emancipation Day, was born. Today, people across the country celebrate with barbecues, parades, prayers services, music, and more.
The Eiteljorg Celebrates Juneteenth
In honor of the 150th anniversary, the Eiteljorg hosted its first Juneteenth celebration in 2015 with community partners, performances, food, art, and free museum admission. That event was so popular, we decided to make it an annual tradition!
Additional Resources
Books by Black Authors
- In the Language of My Captor by Shane McCrae
- The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Stony the Road by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
- Zeely by Virginia Hamilton
- On the Bus with Rosa Parks by Rita Dove
- To ‘Joy My Freedom: southern Black
- Lives and Labors after the Civil War
- The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes
- Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Cane by Jean Toomer
- This Is the Rope by Jacqueline Woodson (Children’s books)
Movies by Black Filmmakers
- I Am Not Your Negro
- If Beale Street Could Talk
- Da 5 Bloods
- Do The Right Thing
- 12 Years A Slave
- 13th