6 Books That Explain the History and Meaning of Juneteenth • Rhode Island Current

After decades of being celebrated primarily at the local level, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021—the long-standing holiday commemorating news of the emancipation and freedom of enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865. In honor of Juneteenth, The Conversation turned to Corey DB Walker, dean of Wake Forest University’s Divinity School and professor of humanities, for a list of reading material that can help people better understand the holiday’s history and meaning. Below, Walker recommends six books.

“On June 19th”

Blending history and memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed’s On Juneteenth offers a stirring story of African American life and culture through the prism of Juneteenth. The award-winning Harvard historian presents an intimate portrait of her family’s experiences and memories of her life as an African American girl growing up in segregated Texas. The essays in her book invite readers to immerse themselves in 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 harsh history facing all Americans.

“O Freedom! Celebration of the Emancipation of African Americans”

“O Freedom! Afro-American Emancipation Celebrations” by William H. Wiggins Jr. is the historical standard for African-American emancipation celebrations. It offers an accessible and well-researched account of the origins and development of Juneteenth.

Wiggins combines oral history with archival research to tell the stories of how African Americans celebrated emancipation, explaining how Juneteenth is part of the web of emancipation celebrations, which included dates such as January 1 in North Carolina, April 3 in Richmond, Virginia, and April 16 in Washington, DC.

What began as a local holiday has developed into a national celebration.

Juneteenth celebrations are known for their 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 faculty that there would be no classes on Juneteenth. In Milwaukee, the local Juneteenth parade includes a group known as the “Black Cowboys” riding their horses down Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Juneteenth celebrations also include cultural fairs and exhibits, artistic performances, and historical reenactments. Lectures and public talks, community festivals, and religious services are also part of the celebrations.

“Juneteenth” – Tenth of June

Ralph Ellison, perhaps best known for his novel Invisible Man, offers several meanings of Juneteenth in the lives of African Americans and Americans in his posthumously published novel Juneteenth.

The ambivalence of Juneteenth is one of freedom delayed but not denied. Ellison’s spiraling novel captures this in the entangled and tragic lives of racist Senator Sunraider – formerly known as Bliss – and the minister who raised him, Reverend AZ Hickman. For Ellison, Juneteenth is more than just a celebration of emancipation. It also represents the shared destiny of whites and African Americans in the pursuit of a just and equal society. The promise and danger of Juneteenth are elegantly summed up in Hickman’s words: “There have been many Juneteenths before this one, and I tell you there will be many more before we are truly free!”

“Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning of African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808–1915”

Mitch Kachun’s book Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning of African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915 traces the history of emancipation celebrations and their impact on African American identity and community. Juneteenth is part of a longer tradition of emancipation celebrations. These celebrations include celebrations marking the end of the transatlantic slave trade in the United States on January 1, 1808. They also include the August First Day/West India Day celebrations, which marked the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire on August 1, 1834.

With an eye for historical detail, Kachun tells a complex story about how Juneteenth and other freedom celebrations shaped African American identity and political culture. The celebrations also revealed competing meanings of African American identity. In Washington, D.C., in the late 19th century, different groups of African Americans held different celebrations. These differences underscored tensions around political ideals, status, and identity. Kachun’s book reminds us that Juneteenth served as a crucible for creating a collective and contested sense of African American community.