Juneteenth and the Celebration of Freedom
The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 was not the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865—nearly two and a half years later—General Gordon Granger brought word to Texas’s 250,000 enslaved Americans that they were now emancipated. Dubbed Juneteenth—short for June Nineteenth—the date became a time for reflection, gathering with family, remembering ancestors, and celebrating freedom for over 150 years. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act—sponsored by Senators Tina Smith, Ed Markey, Raphael Warnock, and John Cornyn, and Representatives Jim Clyburn, Barbara Lee, Danny Davis, Joyce Beatty, and Sheila Jackson Lee—into law and Juneteenth became a federally recognized holiday.
Be sure to view author Crystal Allen’s reading of Floyd Cooper’s Juneteenth for Mazie and a special reenactment of the reading of General Order 3, sponsored by the Children’s Book Council.
Want to learn more about the history of Juneteenth? Visit these sources used in the writing of this post:
- Henry Louis Gates Jr. on the Significance and History of Juneteenth — YouTube
- Juneteenth — National Museum of African American History & Culture
- History of Juneteenth — JUNETEENTH.com
- What Is Juneteenth? — HISTORY
- Juneteenth: The History of a Holiday — The New York Times
In honor of this oldest, nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery, the CBC has compiled a select list of Juneteenth titles.
All Good in the Hood, by Dwayne Reed; illus. by Gladys Jose (Hachette Book Group / Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) — Fiction, Picture Book, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Family / Community, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, History, ages 4-6.
A Flag for Juneteenth, written & illustrated by Kim Taylor (Holiday House / Neal Porter Books) — Nonfiction, Picture Book, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 4-6.
Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem, by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle; illus. by Alex Bostic (Union Square & Co. / Union Square Kids) — Nonfiction, Poetry / Stories in Verse, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 4-6.
J Is for Juneteenth, by Jamariah Cross, Kimani Prince, & Ariyah Webster; illus. by Reyhana Ismail (Planting People Growing Justice Press) — Nonfiction, Picture Book, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 7-12.
Juneteenth, by Kevin P. Winn with Kelisa Wing (Cherry Lake Press) — Nonfiction, Illustrated Prose, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 7-12.
Juneteenth Celebrates Freedom, by Myra Faye Turner; illus. by Markia Jenai and Markia Ware (Capstone / Capstone Press) — Nonfiction, Graphic Novel, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 7-12.
The Juneteenth Cookbook: Recipes and Activities for Kids and Families to Celebrate, by Alliah L. Agostini with Chef Taffy Elrod; illus. by Sawyer Cloud (Quarto Book Group / becker&mayer! kids) — Nonfiction, Illustrated Prose, Food / Cooking, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, How-to / Activity, ages 7-12.
Juneteenth for Mazie, written & illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Capstone / Picture Window Books) — Fiction, Picture Book, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, Family / Community, ages 7-12.
Juneteenth Is, by Natasha Tripplett; illus. by Daniel J. O’Brien (Chronicle Books) — Fiction, Picture Book, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 4-6.
The Juneteenth Story: Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States, by Alliah Agostini; illus. by Sawyer Cloud (The Quarto Group / becker&mayer! kids) — Nonfiction, Picture Book, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 7-12.
Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth, by Alice Faye Duncan; illus. by Keturah A. Bobo (Harper Collins / Tommy Nelson) — Nonfiction, Picture Book, Biography, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 4-6.
They Built Me for Freedom, by Tonya Duncan Ellis; illus. by Jenin Mohammed (Harper Collins / Balzer + Bray) — Nonfiction, Picture Book, History, BIPOC Characters and Creators, Cultural Diversity, Holidays / Seasons / Celebrations, ages 4-6.
Download this handy spreadsheet for even more books about Juneteenth!
For more Diversity booklists and resources, check out our Diversity tag and our Inclusivity Resources.
