Juneteenth marks the day when the enslaved people of Texas learned that they had been freed: June 19, 1865; two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This year, for the first time, Prince William County Government, Virginia will mark this important day as an official holiday. Most offices, including libraries, will close. Remaining open are courts, Elections Office (for curbside voting), landfill, compost facility, public safety departments, detention centers and outdoor parks.
“Juneteenth is a vital milestone in our nation’s long march toward justice and freedom for all people. The last enslaved people in our country – being held in Texas – were finally freed June 19th, 1865, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. One-hundred fifty five years later, we continue on a journey together for repentance as a Commonwealth and a country for America’s Original Sin,” said Occoquan District Supervisor Kenny Boddye, who earlier this week introduced a proclamation of this important date. “Having been sworn in at the beginning of this year on a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, I commit myself to the notion that none of us are free, until all of us are free.”
Whether you are headed to work on June 19 or not, consider carving out some time this weekend to learn about the history of slavery, emancipation and the continued push for equality in our nation. Here’s a list of educational opportunities and celebrations to get you started:
- Explore Juneteenth and what it represents through
- PBS’s Juneteenth Jamboree series: its real history and the meaning of emancipation, along with entertainment associated with Juneteenth celebrations
- Listen to Alicia Keys and John Legend engage in a “battle of the pianos” for Verzuz TV’s Instagram Live, in honor of the holiday
- Petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday
- Consider donating to a nonprofit such as African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund or the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
- Watch the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Founding director lead a Juneteenth tour through the Slavery and Freedom exhibition
- Find facts and worksheets to teach children about Juneteenth
- Learn why some scholars classify mass incarceration as an extension of slavery that can be traced to the wording of the 13th Amendment, in the acclaimed documentary, “13th”
- Watch the Juneteenth International Music Festival
- Listen to a podcast on being anti-racist
- Consider reading up on the history of slavery and Juneteenth; this list features titles for adults and children