It’s Juneteenth today and for the first time, it is recognized as a federal holiday. Next year, it will be a holiday at my work too. About time.
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. That’s an oversimplification, but it does recognize when the Emancipation Proclamation was finally carried out, 901 days after it was signed by President Lincoln.
Here’s a 30 second video by an educator I follow that explains Juneteenth:
As the video says, the best way to honor Juneteenth is by learning more about Black history and how to actively work towards an anti-racist society. Here are just a few resources I can recommend:
- Juneteenth by the Numbers 2021 (Article)
- How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi (Book)
- I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown (Book)
- Color Blind or Color Brave (Ted Talk)
- What the gay rights movement learned from the civil rights movement (Ted Talk)
With love,
Natalie