After decades of being a largely local celebration, Juneteenth, a traditional holiday commemorating the arrival of news of the emancipation and freedom of enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, became a federal holiday in 2021. In honor of this year’s Juneteenth, The Conversation reached out to Corey D. B. Walker, a professor of humanities at Wake Forest University, for a list of readings that can help people better understand the history and meaning of the celebration. Below, Walker recommends six books.
“June 19”
Blending history and memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed’s “On Juneteenth” offers a moving story of African American life and culture through the lens of Juneteenth. The award-winning Harvard historian presents an intimate portrait of her family’s experiences and memories of life as a young African American girl growing up in segregated Texas. The essays in her book invite readers into a world shaped by the forces of freedom and slavery.
Reed’s exploration of the history and legacy of Juneteenth is a poignant reminder of the difficult history all Americans face.
“Oh Freedom! Celebrating African American Emancipation”
William H. Wiggins Jr.’s “O Freedom! Afro-American Emancipation Celebrations” is the definitive historical reference on African-American emancipation celebrations. It offers an accessible and well-researched account of the emergence and evolution of Juneteenth.
Wiggins combines oral history with archival research to share the stories of how African Americans celebrated emancipation. He explains how Juneteenth is part of the mosaic of emancipation celebrations. These celebrations included dates such as January 1 in North Carolina, April 3 in Richmond, Virginia, and April 16 in Washington, D.C.
What began as a local holiday has become a national celebration.
Juneteenth celebrations are known for the variety of programs and events that highlight African American history and culture. In the 1960s, students at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, informed professors that classes would not be held on Juneteenth. In Milwaukee, the local Juneteenth parade includes a group known as the Black Cowboys who ride on horseback along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Juneteenth celebrations also include cultural fairs and exhibits, artistic performances, and historical reenactments. Public lectures and discussions, community parties, and religious services are also part of the celebrations.
“June 10”
Ralph Ellison, perhaps best known for his novel “The Invisible Man,” offers multiple meanings of Juneteenth in African-American and American life in his posthumously published novel “Juneteenth.”
The ambivalence of Juneteenth is one of freedom delayed but not denied. Ellison’s spiraling novel captures this ambivalence through the tragic and entangled lives of the racist Senator Sunraider—formerly known as Bliss—and the pastor who raised him, the Reverend AZ Hickman. For Ellison, Juneteenth represents more than just a celebration of emancipation. It also represents the shared destiny of white Americans and African Americans in their quest for a just and equal society. The promise and danger of Juneteenth are elegantly expressed in Hickman’s words: “There have been a lot of Juneteenths before this one, and I tell you there will be a lot more before we are truly free!”
“Freedom Days: Memory and Meaning of African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915”
Mitch Kachun’s book, “Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915,” traces the history of emancipation celebrations and their influence on African American identity and community. Juneteenth is part of a long tradition of emancipation celebrations. These included those that took place to mark the end of the transatlantic slave trade to the United States on January 1, 1808. They also included the August Day/West India Day celebrations that marked the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire on August 1, 1834.
With an eye for historical detail, Kachun tells a complex story of how Juneteenth and other freedom festivals shaped African American identity and political culture. These celebrations also highlighted conflicting meanings of African American identity. In Washington, D.C., in the late 19th century, different groups of African Americans held distinct celebrations. These variations highlighted tensions over political ideals, status, and identity. Kachun’s book reminds us that Juneteenth served as a crucible for forging a collective and contested sense of African American community.
“The Rites of August 1: Emancipation Day in the Black Atlantic World”
Similar to Kachun’s book, Howard University historian Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie’s “Rites of August First: Emancipation Day in the Black Atlantic World” reminds readers of a broader history and geography of emancipation celebrations.
Kerr-Ritchie focuses on how different African American communities adopted and adapted West India Day celebrations. He also explores how they created meaning and culture by celebrating the abolition of slavery in the British West Indies. Kerr-Ritchie’s book details how these celebrations crossed borders and political boundaries.
“Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration”
Contemporary invocations of Juneteenth often neglect its military history.
Edward T. Cotham Jr.’s “Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration” fills the gap by exploring Juneteenth’s origins during the Civil War.
Cotham explains the military context that led to the events of June 19, 1865, in Galveston. It was at that moment that the city’s black slaves finally learned that they had been freed more than two years earlier. Cotham reminds readers that the story of June 19 involves the ordinary actions of many people whose names may not be widely known.
Together, these books about Juneteenth offer new perspectives on the history and culture of African Americans seeking a full expression of their freedom. Juneteenth is also an invitation to all Americans to continue learning and fighting for freedom for all.
This story was produced by The conversation and revised and distributed by Stacker Media.
