Last year, I wrote a little about what Juneteenth means to my family, and I shared about a road trip we took that gave us a chance to sit in the tension at the intersection of an enslaved woman and the slaveholder’s son. This year, I’d love to share some of the Juneteenth books we read each time we celebrate this important day.

To be completely honest, I’d never heard of Juneteenth until I began homeschooling, but once I learned the history and significance of the day, I delightedly began incorporating it into my family’s annual traditions.⁣⁣⁣⁣

“Juneteenth is a celebration marking an end to slavery in the United States. Though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, very few people were immediately freed. A full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two long months after Richmond fell, the last enslaved African Americans in Texas were pronounced free people. That momentous date, June 19, 1865, has been proclaimed Juneteenth and celebrated annually ever since.⁣⁣”

Atlanta History Center

Every June, we read books and watch videos about Juneteenth in the first part of the month before celebrating the actual day by attending a celebration held at the Atlanta History Center.⁣⁣⁣⁣ This year the museum event is virtual so we’ll be spending our time with friends as we consider the beauty in the ashes. ⁣⁣⁣⁣

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases of these Juneteenth books using these links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

Notes: Some of these books are out of print and expensive, but my local library has all of them, so hopefully yours does too! The first four books are picture books told through the eyes of children, and the last three are nonfiction books.

• All Different Now (Angela Johnson)⁣⁣⁣
• Freedom’s Gifts (Valerie Wesley)⁣⁣⁣
• Juneteenth for Mazie (Floyd Cooper)⁣⁣⁣
• Juneteenth Jamboree (Carole Boston Weatherford)⁣⁣⁣
• The Story Behind Juneteenth (Jack Reader)⁣⁣⁣ – Basic nonfiction book with simple text
• Juneteenth (Natalie Rosinsky)⁣⁣⁣ – Basic nonfiction book with simple text
• Juneteenth Freedom Day (Muriel Miller Branch)⁣⁣⁣ – Interesting longer nonfiction book with dense text and many photographs

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