Celebrate Juneteenth

Now a federal holiday, Juneteenth (June 19, 1865) is when more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were informed of their freedom, preceded by the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Union Troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, on that fateful day in 1865, sharing news of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery in the United States. We wish everyone a happy Juneteenth full of community and celebration. Read on for recommended reads about Juneteenth from our collection!

 KIDS

• A Flag for Juneteenth by Kim Taylor
  • Author Kim Taylor, who is also a quilter, uses hand-sewn illustrations to tell the story of a young girl named Huldah. Excited for her tenth birthday, Huldah is surprised by the best gift of all: news that slavery has ended. To celebrate, Huldah and her community work together to create a freedom flag.

• Juneteenth: Racial Justice in America: Histories by Kevin P. Winn (also available on Hoopla)
  • Part of the Racial Justice in America: Histories series, Juneteenth explores the history of the holiday and how it is celebrated today.

• They Build Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park by Tonya Duncan Ellis
  • Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas, serves as the narrator for this picture book about Juneteenth and the struggles and joys the park has witnessed during its 150-year history.

TEENS

• A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama by Ray Anthony Shepard
  • Written in verse, A Long Time Coming highlights six change makers (Ona Judge, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama) and their battles against racism.

• Stay Up: Racism, Resistance, and Reclaiming Black Freedom by Khodi Dill (also available on Hoopla)
  • Part memoir and part anti-racist handbook, Dill breaks down the history of oppression in North America and empowers young readers to be active participants in the fight against racism.

• The Sum of Us: How Racism Hurts Everyone: Adapted for Young Readers by Heather McGhee
  • Adapted for young readers, McGhee, an expert on economic policy, argues the importance and benefit of our country coming together to find opportunities for all to prosper. The Sum of Us offers real solutions and is a call to action to ensure a positive shared economic future for everyone.

ADULTS

• Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human by Cole Arthur Riley
  • Through a collection of poetry, prayers, letters, meditations, breathing exercises, and writings from Black literary figures, Riley connects spiritual practice with the Black experience. Featuring forty-three liturgies, including one for Juneteenth, Black Liturgies provides a resource for those seeking spiritual healing.

• On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed (also available on Hoopla)
  • Texas native and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed chronicles the history of Juneteenth and the legacies of slavery that still exist today.

• Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations by Nicole Taylor
  • In the very first cookbook to celebrate Juneteenth, Watermelon and Red Birds includes over seventy-five recipes from the James Beard Award-nominated writer and cook Nicole Taylor. The entries are perfect for Juneteenth celebrations.