Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance. Find out more at the Juneteenth article in the Handbook of Texas from the Texas State Historical Association.
In observance of Juneteenth, our DE+I Increasing Employee Resources subcommittee pulled together this list of virtual (and in-person) events and resources to provide more opportunities for us all to educate and reflect on the history of Juneteenth.
Events:
- Juneteenth Virtual Book Talk with Glenda Armand: June 10, 2021
- Voices with Vision – June 18th 10am ET: In honor of Juneteenth, Insight Partners welcomes you to hear from Monique Woodard and Mckeever Conwell who are investing in the future of entrepreneurship and business to drive demographic change.
- Award-winning exhibition “The Mere Distinction of Colour,” the South Yard Structures, and the Gilmore Cabin: June 19, 2021
- 2021 Juneteenth Oregon Celebration: https://www.juneteenthor.com/
- June 19, 2021: Juneteenth OR will be celebrating our 49th Annual Juneteenth Celebration virtually Saturday, June 19, 2021.Also please make sure to visit our website www.juneteenthor.com to participate in the #pdxbobcrawl (portland black owned business crawl) for contest details and to download the passport. Winners will be announced during the livestream.
- Juneteenth Virtual Screening: "Resilience, Recovery, and Rebirth": June 24, 2021: https://www.montpelier.org/events/juneteenth-virtual-screening-resilience
- A list of Online Juneteenth Events | Eventbrite
- “It’s All In The Numbers” – With Shawn Rochester – Virtual Juneteenth Event | LinkedIn – June 17th
- Hip-Hop Orchestra Juneteenth Online Performance! | LinkedIn – June 19th
- Freedom on the Battlefield: The Real Meaning of Juneteenth | LinkedIn- June 12th –Civil War scholar John William Templeton describes the military victory of U.S. Troops of African Descent, including their service in Texas from 1863 to 1914, and the correct interpretation of June 19 as the end of the Civil War instead of Appomattox Courthouse
- Honoring the History of Juneteenth: One Family’s Journey to Freedom | LinkedIn – June 17th
- Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra presents a Juneteenth recognition event on June 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a live streamed concert featuring the premiere of a new work SRJO commissioned from seven-time Grammy winner Christian McBride.
- Celebrating Juneteenth | Port of Seattle
- Juneteenth Week: Juneteenth: Lift Every Voice – June 15th: The annual collaboration has produced a film documenting the national exploration of the deep-rooted anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” through the eyes of historic museums and anthropologists from across the United States
Other Ways to Celebrate:
- Celebrate Juneteenth as a family with these books and events
- Support a black-owned restaurant near you, try using the Eat Okra app, which lists 2,600 black-owned restaurants, bakeries, cafes, food trucks, bars and wineries across the U.S.
- Eat Black Owned is a website that allows you to search for black-owned restaurants by location, so you can find somewhere to celebrate this Juneteenth.
- Share and amplify the work of Black activists, educators, artists, and businesses on social media. mbg has rounded up lists on Black thought leaders, Black food experts, and Black fitness professionals.
- Juneteenth Shop Black Festival Tickets, Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 11:00 AM | Eventbrite
- 51 Best Black Movies on Netflix 2021 – Black Films on Netflix
- 10 Books to Celebrate Juneteenth No Matter Your Age — Black & Bookish
- Books to Read for Juneteenth, as Recommended by DC’s Black Educators
Resources:
- A Powerful Letter from My Great-Great-Grandfather, Who Escaped Slavery in 1855 Author: TED Guest Author READ
- A Historic Conversation for Healing and Unity Hosted by: Tony Robbins LISTEN
- Talks to Help You Understand Racism in America Ted Playlist WATCH
- The Economic Impact of Closing the Racial Wealth Gap READ
- Support Black Owned Oregon Businesses GET THE LIST
- This Is Why Juneteenth Is Important for America
- Download & Share Juneteenth Fact Cards
