Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. It is also called Emancipation Day or Juneteenth Independence Day. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas in the aftermath of the Civil War when enslaved people were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation. The army announced that more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were free by executive decree.

If you wondered why it was named Juneteenth, it was derived from combining “June” and “nineteenth.” It is celebrated on the anniversary of the order issued by Major General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas.

Here are some ways in which you can celebrate Juneteenth:

• Watch a documentary about slavery
• Learn the history of Juneteenth
• Read books written by Black authors or poets. Here are four picture books about Juneteenth to read with your kids:
  • The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story by Glenda Armand
  • Juneteenth by Van G Garrett
  • Jayylen’s Juneteenth Surprise by Lavaille Lavett
  • A Flag for Juneteenth by Kim Taylor
• Support Black owned businesses
• Eat at a Black owned restaurant
• Go to a museum

Some other ideas you can do in the workplace or home could be:

• Decorate a bulletin board with Juneteenth theme items to acknowledge the day’s celebration
• Discuss and learn African American facts
• Plan a special meal and gather the family together to acknowledge Juneteenth
• Encourage your neighborhood to display Juneteenth yard signs
• Take some personal time to reflect

Carol, one of our employees at the YWCA shared what Juneteenth means to her.

“Juneteenth to me means FREEDOM to do and be exactly what you want without bringing harm to yourself and others. Since the late 1800’s, this freedom was celebrated by large groups of people and families in the African American communities by coming together in a positive and spiritual environment. Most celebrations are done in the privacy of homes and churches. People come together at parks, parades, backyards, and other local events. Gathering together in prayer, love and just being thankful and hopeful for days to come. Often times, music, dancing, telling stories and sharing history are beautiful parts of entertainment on Juneteenth, but for me it’s the food that plays an important part of this celebration. Barbeque beef, chicken, and pork along with common side dishes like black-eyed peas, corn, collard greens, cabbage, cornbread, potatoes, and yams are known as prosperity meals for good luck and fortune. Serving red drinks like strawberry soda or fruit punch symbolizes perseverance and honors the blood that was shed by our ancestors. Food is a great way to celebrate and bring people together on Juneteenth to honor and pay homage to those before us and the sacrifices they made.  Happy Juneteenth!”

We encourage you to take some time to better understand what Juneteenth is and hope you can use some of our suggestions on ways to celebrate. Happy Juneteenth from the YWCA!

-Lisa Bock, YWCA Northwestern Illinois Director of Child Care Resource & Referral