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On June 19, 1865 news of the emancipation proclamation reached Texas two and a half years after it was signed, thus establishing Juneteenth, or as some would say Freedom Day. Juneteenth is an acknowledgment of the USA's participation in slavery and has served as a day to honor the enslaved Africans.
In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday, but for many years African Americans in Fort Worth, Texas and many other communities celebrated the holiday with parades, parties, and community-based activism rooted in the preservation of African American culture and history.
Summer is upon us and the DC Public Library wants you to join us for summer learning. What better way than to start it off by exploring our nation's history? Celebrate Juneteenth with us. Stop by your local library on June 17 to pick up a free copy of Bryan Collier's We Shall Overcome while supplies last and register for the Discover Summer program. The Discover Summer program is for all ages and lasts from June 17 to Aug. 31, 2023. Learning with the library this summer will give you access to free events, library days at local museums, and many different prizes. We hope to see you. Happy Juneteenth!
Sign up for Discover Summer
Visit your neighborhood library to pick up a paper gameboard or sign up online using Beanstack starting on June 1. (If you've participated in any of the Library's reading programs in the past, you can log in to your existing account with your username and password.) The program officially starts June 17 and ends August 31.
Upcoming Juneteenth Events
Juneteenth Scavenger Hunt | June 15-21, Southwest Library
Learn about Juneteenth by completing a scavenger hunt for clues hidden around the Southwest Children's Area!
Read Along And Activity: Juneteenth for Mazie | Thursday, June 15, 4:30 p.m., Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Library
Come learn about the history of Juneteenth alongside Mazie as we read Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper. After the story join an activity connected to the story and holiday.
Juneteenth Film Series | Friday, June 16, 10:30 a.m., Parklands-Turner Library
Join the library as we show a collection of films addressing the history and legacy of Juneteenth all day long.
Juneteenth Celebration! | Saturday, June 17, Noon, Bellevue/William O. Lockridge Library
Come Celebrate Juneteenth at Bellevue! We will have coloring pages, a craft and book giveaways ( while supplies last).
Viola Ford Fletcher: Don’t Let Them Bury My Story | Sunday, June 18, 2 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
MLK Library will welcome Viola Fletcher, the 109-Year-Old survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre and author of "Don't Let Them Bury My Story" as special programming surrounding the Juneteenth holiday.
*Registration Required
Juneteenth Craft Stick Flag | Sunday, June 18, 3 p.m., Shepherd Park/Juanita E. Thornton Library
Decorate the flag with words that celebrate family values, the relevance of Juneteenth, and/or the greatness of African Ancestry.
Juneteenth Lecture Celebrations at Woodridge | Tuesday, Jun. 20, 6:30 p.m., Woodridge Library
C.R. Gibbs will give you a close up look at the history of Juneteenth in Texas and regional freedom celebrations in DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Related Online Resources
Explore everything DigDC, DC Public Library's local history digital archive, has to offer on Juneteenths past in Washington D.C. See images from the 2022 Juneteenth event in downtown D.C., newspaper clippings commemorating the survivors and descendants of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and so much more.
The African American Experience, The American Mosaic
Find reference and scholarly articles on African American history and culture, as well as over 4,000 slave narratives. Includes primary documents, maps and images, lesson plans and searchable timelines.
Answers await everyone—whether professional or hobbyist, expert or novice, genealogist or historian—inside the more than 7,000 available databases. Here, you can unlock the story of you with sources like censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, military records, court and legal documents, directories, photos, maps & more.
