Juneteenth Resources

Resources Connected to Juneteenth

These items are intended to supplement items given to the Amesbury Public Schools with easy access to the links, but offer great resources for anyone wanting to learn more about the origin and importance of this federal holiday.

Reading Lists

Reading list for books about Juneteenth available at the Amesbury Public Library and through the MVLC that can be requested: Reading List for Juneteenth

Elementary Ages Information Sheet

Juneteenth Introduction:
Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as "Juneteenth," by the newly freed people in Texas, combining the date and month, and has been celebrated in this country and around the world since. It also has been called Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day; it was made a federal holiday in 2021. Source: National Museum of African American History & Culture

What was the Emancipation Proclamation:
President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862 which freed all the slaves forever in all states and went into effect on January 1, 1863. The United States was embroiled in Civil War at this time and not all states followed the order until the Union (Northern) army had reached all of the Confederate states, the last being in 1865.

Modern Celebrations:
Today, Juneteenth is celebrated with music festivals, performances, rodeos, barbecues, pageants, and more. Red food and drink are common as an homage to African narratives and West African traditions. This color is said to represent strength and spirituality and carries great weight in many aspects of West African culture.Celebrations of Juneteenth are not unlike those of the Fourth of July, with parades and street fairs, dancing and music, picnics and cookouts, family reunions, and historical reenactments. Strawberry soda or red soda water and barbecuing became symbols of Juneteenth, with barbecue pits often positioned in the center of large gatherings. The Juneteenth flag is more prominent than ever. Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-juneteenth-and-why-is-it-celebrated-2834603

Juneteenth Flag
Background on the meaning of the flag and a template for kids to color.
https://skokielibrary.info/media/uploads/The%20Juneteenth%20Flag.pdf

Why is Opal Lee called the Grandmother of Juneteenth?
As a retired Texas teacher, Lee worked to have Juneteenth recognized as a national holiday. At the age of 89, she walked 2.5 miles in many cities all the way from Texas to Washington DC to represent the 2.5 years delay from the Emancipation Proclamation until the slaves in Texas were free. In 2021, she witnessed the signing of the declaration that made Juneteenth a federal holiday and she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024.
Short Bio: https://www.womenshistory.org/women-making-history-awards/dr-opal-lee