10 Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth and Black History this Summer
Get started with events, activities and resources this #CivicSeason.
Did you learn about Juneteenth in history class? What about the Tulsa Race Massacre?
If you’ve been feeling like there’s so much more about our past you want to know, you’re not alone. As we approach Juneteenth, commemorating the date slavery was outlawed in Texas on June 19, 1865, many people in the United States are newly learning its story, and seeking to explore a more complete history.
Knowing our history really matters. When we know better, we can do better. If we understand a fuller picture of the past, including Black stories of struggle, triumph, love, persecution, family, work, joy — we are better equipped with the context we need to shape a just future for all.
Juneteenth came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery in the U.S. While Lincoln’s words declared freedom, the Union Army still needed to make their way to Texas to announce and enforce the change. Even after that, Delaware and Kentucky remained slaveholding states until the 13th Amendment abolished slavery later that year. Decades of racial discrimination, injustice and violence followed, from Reconstruction through the Jim Crow era. Today, we’re still working on achieving “liberty and justice for all.”
In other words, it took time for our practices to live up to our promises. Just like the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation granted freedom in name, but didn’t ensure it was accessible. Many enslaved people worked to claim freedom for their lives in big and small ways before slavery was abolished. Documents, proclamations and even the law can only go so far; it’s up to us to put words into action. The way we show up for our democracy, our values, and our communities every day — the way we show up for each other — is how we live out freedom and independence.
The Civic Season, held for the first time ever this summer, brings people in the United States together between June 14 — July 4th to face our complex past and take action toward a more just future. At TheCivicSeason.com you can explore over 400 events, programs and resources to level up your knowledge, gain skills and grow as a civic participant. From Juneteenth through July 4th we can understand how we got here, in order to write the next chapter.
Ready to dig in? Here are some of our favorite programs of the Civic Season to increase your understanding of Black history, just in time for Juneteenth celebrations.
Seizing Freedom Podcast
Anytime / Virtual
Ending slavery in America required so much more than official declarations and battlefield victories. Freedom gets built up over time — through a billion tiny, everyday acts. It’s there in the chance to enlist and fight for a cause. It’s there in the effort to reunite families torn apart by the cruelty of slave trading. It’s there in the right to learn to read or found a church or decide how you want to make a living. That’s the freedom you’ll hear about on this podcast from Dr. Kidada Williams and the Seizing Freedom team, and you’ll hear directly from the people who seized it.
Redefining Freedom: History Club on Clubhouse
June 17th, 10pm EDT / Virtual
Join a conversation on the live audio app Clubhouse, in the popular History Club room with host Jason Steinhauer to discuss freedom and democracy and our role in upholding these ideals. Hear from experts, learn about the Civic Season and take part in a Socratic Dialogue conversational format that makes space for sharing (and hearing) new perspectives. All are welcome. New to Clubhouse? Skip the waitlist to join with this link.
Just Breathe STL
Wednesdays in June at 6pm
In-Person / St. Louis, Missouri
The Missouri History Museum’s Juneteenth celebration extends throughout the month and incorporates wellness, self-care and reflection as we examine the past and present of systemic racism and harm. Join the museum and the Collective STL on the museum’s North Lawn in Forest Park, St. Louis, for yoga, walking, biking, mindful journaling, art, music, and healthy food and drink samples.
Annette Gordon-Reed, On Juneteenth Author Talks
Recorded or Live / Virtual
- National Archives Foundation
- Atlanta History Center
- Ben Franklin’s World Podcast
- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
- American Philosophical Society, June 18, 2–3pm
Pulitzer-Prize winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed has a new book, On Juneteenth, which blends her personal story of growing up in Texas with historical expertise, to highlight the significance of Juneteenth in American history and how it has changed. Gordon-Reed will join several venues this summer during the Civic Season to discuss her work — catch a recording or the live discussion.
Juneteenth with Civics Unplugged and Points of Light
June 19th, 1pm EDT / Virtual
Ready to celebrate Black life, and commit to creating a future where Black lives matter? Join Civics Unplugged and Points of Light for a virtual event celebrating the brilliance and beauty of Black history and culture, to begin charting the path towards an equitable and restorative future. Hear from civil rights advocates from various intersections to discuss empowering youth to address various facets of systemic oppression, and join breakout sessions focused on celebrating Black culture and taking action to create a more just society.
Voices from Black Louisville, 1900–1940
Kentucky Historical Society
Virtual
Oral histories are one of the most powerful ways to learn history — from the voices of those who lived it. In this collection from the Kentucky Historical Society, African American residents of Louisville discuss their lives from 1900 to 1940, especially their participation in education, politics, business, and community development.
Experience a Sit-In Simulation
Virtual or In-Person / Anytime / Atlanta, GA
In 1960, four Black college students made headlines — and change — when they peacefully sat in seats reserved for “Whites Only” at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. The protest was a major step toward freedom, but maintaining such courageous resolve in the face of violent attacks, harassment and racism wasn’t easy. Could you do it? The National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta has created a powerful, challenging simulation of the lunch counter where you can sit, and with headphones and 4D effects, experience this moment (in the safety of the museum). Or, download the audio and try at home, on your own. Then, check out the Center’s Dignity campaign to see how you can take action to fight against this kind of discrimination and violence.
School Interrupted Virtual Tour
Anytime / Virtual
COVID-19 wasn’t the first time schooling has been disrupted in the United States, at great cost to students. And teenagers have always played a role in shaping history — before there was Greta Thunberg or Zy Bryant, there was Barbara Johns. Visit this virtual tour of the Moton Museum and DIY lesson guide from New American History, and learn how a 15 year old girl led a student walkout before Rosa Parks gave up her seat on a bus, and helped change American education forever.
Meet Conner Prairie’s Activists-in-Residence
June 18–20 / In-Person and Virtual / Fishers, Indiana
Conner Prairie, a living history museum and farm and Smithsonian Affiliate in Fishers, Indiana, invites you to join in celebrating Juneteenth with a digital exhibit featuring a documentary produced by four young Activists-in-Residence — young Indiana performers who are blending the past with the present.
#BLKFREEDOM Juneteenth: Justice, Freedom & Democracy
June 15th / Virtual
With events from ten Black history museums, including the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the National Underground Railway Freedom Center, and the National Civil Rights Museum, this celebration of Juneteenth features dancing, acting, museum tours, and spoken word. Check out the array of events to commemorate Juneteenth this year.
For more activities to understand our past and shape the future, visit TheCivicSeason.com to get started — and add your voice.
The Civic Season is made possible thanks to the generous support of Marcia Carlucci, Jacqueline B. Mars and AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate.
