Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom
JUNETEENTH
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.
Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.
Juneteenth Resources
- What is Juneteenth? Henry Lewis Gates, The RootA well-written and informative article about Juneteenth and it's positive, ongoing effects in America.
- Emancipation Proclamation: Primary Documents in American HistoryOn January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This research guide compiles digital materials at the Library of Congress, links to related external websites, and a print bibliography.
- 1619 ProjectThe 1619 Project is a long-form journalism project developed by Nikole Hannah-Jones, writers from The New York Times, and The New York Times Magazine which "aims to reframe the country's history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the United States' national narrative".[1] The project was first published in The New York Times Magazine in August 2019 for the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colony of Virginia.[2] The project later included a broadsheet article, live events, and a podcast.[3]
BLACK LIVES MATTER
- Black Lives MatterThe official site of the transformative movement
- Black Trans Lives MatterEvery year too many transgender or gender non-conforming lives are lost - the majority of which were Black transgender women. This site links to Black Queer & Trans organizations that need our support. We can't stop fighting until justice and equality are served.
- #BlackLivesMatter: Longform Reading ListBackground, resources.
- Black Women RadicalsBlack Women Radicals (BWR) is a Black feminist advocacy organization dedicated to uplifting Black women and gender expansive people’s radical political activism.
The MCNY Library has many books devoted to and related to Black Lives Matter, the fight for racial justice, the history of White Supremacy, the work of anti-racism, the history of Women of Color Feminism and more. See our Race Matters Research Guide and email library@mcny.edu for more.
- Peace
Celebrating African American Literature (with the MCNY Library)
Barracoon by ISBN: 9780062864369Publication Date: 2018-05-08
The Fire This Time by ISBN: 9781501126345Publication Date: 2016-08-02
The Half Has Never Been Told by ISBN: 9780465002962Publication Date: 2014-09-09
How to Be an Antiracist by ISBN: 9780525509288Publication Date: 2019-08-13
The New Jim Crow by ISBN: 9781595586438Publication Date: 2012-01-16
Remembering Jim Crow by ISBN: 9781565847781Publication Date: 2003-02-13
Stamped from the Beginning by ISBN: 9781568585987Publication Date: 2017-08-15
Stony the Road by ISBN: 9780525559559Publication Date: 2020-04-07
The Warmth of Other Suns by ISBN: 9780679763888Publication Date: 2011-10-04
James Baldwin: Collected Essays (LOA #98) by ISBN: 9781883011529Publication Date: 1998-02-01
Mirror to America by ISBN: 9780374299446Publication Date: 2005-11-02
Black Fortunes by ISBN: 9780062437594Publication Date: 2018-01-30
They Were Her Property by ISBN: 9780300218664Publication Date: 2019-02-19
How We Get Free by ISBN: 9781608468553Publication Date: 2017-12-05
How We Fight White Supremacy by ISBN: 9781568588490Publication Date: 2019-03-26
