Juneteenth

Overview

Juneteenth—also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day—is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. It has been celebrated every year since June 19, 1865.

On that day—over two months after General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the U.S. Civil War—2,000 Union troops led by General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to deliver General Order Number 3, announcing that “in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

For the 250,000 enslaved people across Texas, freedom had been long-delayed; it had been two and a half years since President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which stated declaring at that time that “all persons held as slaves within any State…in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” However, as the Civil War raged on, the Proclamation was not properly implemented or enforced in states that were under Confederate control.

Though it would take several more months to ratify the the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery in the United States in December 1865, Juneteenth marks the day that the intent behind the Emancipation Proclamation was finally realized and hundreds of thousands of enslaved people finally became free.

Early Juneteenth celebrations featured music, dancing, storytelling, and food. They also often also served as voter registration events where “freedmen” could learn more about their new rights as citizens. Juneteenth festivities were not just a way to celebrate an anniversary, but were also acts of resistance throughout the South, where many people remained fiercely opposed to emancipation after it was granted. Celebrations also spread across the country as Black people moved north and west during the Great Migration.

Since 2021, Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday, and the annual celebrations continue to provide an opportunity for Black Americans to tell positive stories about their history, create an enduring cultural legacy, and chart a path forward. Learning about Juneteenth is part of a broader education of the practice, impact, and legacy of slavery that speaks to Black history in this country—and therefore American history at large.

Below, you can find teaching and learning resources about Juneteenth for families, students, and educators to use. While these materials are particularly relevant on June 19, we hope you continue to use them throughout the year.

Events, Exhibitions, and Places to Visit

Join in on the celebrations happening on and around Juneteenth all across New York City:

• Celebrate at the 16th Annual Juneteenth NYC Festival in Brooklyn from Thursday, June 12 through Thursday, June 19, with virtual and in-person events taking place all week long.
• Head to the Seneca Village Juneteenth Celebration in Central Park on Thursday, June 19 for a free, family-friendly day filled with dance, music, art-making, comedy, and more!
• The Juneteenth Family Day will take place at Green-Wood Cemetery on Thursday, June 19!   Session 1 is being held from 10:30AM–12:00PM, and Session 2 will take place from 1:00PM–2:30PM and is a great. This free event is a great opportunity to learn more about Black History and celebrate the holiday.
• Learn about the history of Juneteenth at the Annual Juneteenth Celebration in Battery Park! Join in on family friendly activities on Saturday, June 14 from 2–5 PM, including an opportunity to learn about history, see a performance celebrating the music of the African Diaspora, and riding with the Federation of Black Cowboys.
• Check out even more events happening in celebration of Juneteenth at NYC Parks and at New York Public Library branches across the city.

Reading List

Frederick Douglass once said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth with book suggestions for students of all ages about the history of the holiday, the Reconstruction era in the United States, and more. We hope you will enjoy and learn from them today, and all year long.

Many of these books are readily available via New York’s public libraries, as well as through the Citywide Digital Library available on Sora, where you can also find even more great suggestions for students of all ages in the  “Commemorate Juneteenth” collection, which features dozens of titles to choose from.

Video and Audio Resources

• "More Than a Brook: Brooklyn Abolitionist Heritage Walk” is an interactive audio tour created by Kamau Studios and Black Gotham experience that is available on the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission website. It explores Brooklyn’s history as a critical neighborhood for the National Abolitionist Movement and the Underground Railroad.
• Juneteenth Jamboree on PBS explores the history of Juneteenth celebrations through multimedia.
• This Is Why Juneteenth is Important is a short video from The Root explaining the history and significance of the holiday.
• “The History and Meaning of Juneteenth” from the New York Times podcast The Daily is a 2020 episode featuring a discussion about emancipation with Dr. Daina Ramey Berry, a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin.

Resources for Educators

• NYCPS’s Juneteenth Resource Guide has a wide range of materials to use in the classroom, during Juneteenth and throughout the year, for students of all ages, including lesson plans, discussion questions, and primary sources that teach about the history and meaning of the holiday.
• In addition, check out our InfoHub page on Fostering Ongoing Dialogue and Action About Race and Equity.
• You can also check out our Hidden Voices Curriculum Guides, available on WeTeach, for profiles of history-making individuals whose stories are often left out of traditional historical narratives. During Juneteenth, you may be especially interested in the Hidden Voices of the Global African Diaspora Volume 1 and Volume 2.
• Explore Juneteenth resources from the New York Public Library including reading lists, archival materials, educator resources, and more.
• Check out resources from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
• The Gilder Lehrman Institute has several lessons available for grades 6–12 available through their Juneteenth and Emancipation units. These lessons teach students about the historical significance of Juneteenth through analysis of primary sources.
• The Library of Congress has collections of primary and secondary sources that teach about the history of the Juneteenth holiday.