So, what is Juneteenth and why should we all celebrate it?
Most people acknowledge July 4th, Independence Day, as the day of freedom. But freedom for whom? Independence day celebrates the freedom of White male Americans. June 19th represents the day slavery finally ended for all Black people.
Elizabeth Nix states, “Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.”
Whether you take a trip to the library or order a few books for your home library, books are a great resource to start the conversation about June 19th. In this post, you will also find video resources and links to lesson plans to help teach about June 19th in your homeschool lesson.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Homeschool Resources
Books to Read About Juneteenth
All Different Now by Angela Johnson: “Through the eyes of one little girl, All Different Now tells the story of the first Juneteenth, the day freedom finally came to the last of the slaves in the South. Since then, the observance of June 19 as African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.”
Juneteenth: Freedom Day by Muriel Miller Branch: “Provides the story of how this holiday, marking the Emancipation Proclamation, spontaneously began on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, and grew from there into a nationwide celebration of freedom among African Americans.”
Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper: “Mazie is ready to celebrate liberty. She is ready to celebrate freedom. She is ready to celebrate a great day in American history — the day her ancestors were no longer slaves.”
Juneteenth (On My Own Holidays) by Drew Nelson & Vaunda Micheaux Nelson:
“June 19th, 1865, began as another hot day in Texas. Enslaved African Americans worked in fields, in barns, and in the homes of the white people who owned them. Then a message arrived. Freedom! Slavery had ended! “
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed: “Weaving together American history, a dramatic family chronicle, and searing episodes of memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed’s On Juneteenth provides a historian’s view of the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African-Americans have endured in the century since, from Reconstruction through Jim Crow and beyond.”
Videos Resources to Celebrate
More videos to consider including for your lesson:
Juneteenth: What You Need to Know | History
Why all Americans should honor Juneteenth | FOX
History of Juneteenth | CITY OF ALLEN ACTV
Lesson Plans and Worksheets
Enchanted Learning Blog- Worksheets and Quizzes
Read Write Think Blog- Venn Diagram Activity
PIN IT FOR LATER
Leave a Reply