June 19 is Juneteenth, the holiday that celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill making Juneteenth a national holiday. This guide provides a selection of books and videos about Juneteenth and the broader topics of emancipation and freedom.
Juneteenth: Background
Juneteenth is the celebration that observes June 19th,1865 as the enforced end of slavery in the United States. On that date, army troops entered the state of Texas to force the liberation of enslaved people. This was two months after the end of the Civil War, and two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had rhetorically and legally declared slavery to be abolished. Some have suggested that Juneteenth is similar to the Fourth of July as they are both Independence Days that celebrate freedom. However, enslaved Blacks were not freed on July 4th, 1776, despite the Declaration of Independence stating "all men are created equal" and that Liberty was one of three "inalienable rights." For this reason, Juneteenth has a special significance. Indeed, as writer Jameelah Rasheed states:
Juneteenth isn’t the "other" Independence Day, it is the Independence Day."
Selected Juneteenth Resources
Here we have gathered a selection of books and ebooks about Juneteenth and Emancipation, as well as children's and young adult books. Use the tabs above to view these resources.
"Emancipation Day celebration - later known as Juneteenth and a public holiday in Texas." Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
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Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery by 
The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway and the Slaves' Civil War by 
How the Slaves Saw the Civil War: Recollections of the War through the WPA Slave Narrative by 
I Freed Myself: African American self-emancipation in the Civil War era by 
Jubilee: The Emergence of African American Culture by 
Juneteenth: A Novel by 
Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration by 
O Freedom!: Afro-American Emancipation Celebrations by 
Voices of Emancipation: Understanding Slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction through the U.S. Pension Bureau Files by 
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by 
Been in the Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery by The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway and the Slaves' Civil War by 
Gender and the Jubilee: Black Freedom and the Reconstruction of Citizenship in Civil War Missouri by 
Juneteenth Texas: Essays in African American Folklore by 
To Plead Our Own Cause: Personal Stories by Today's Slaves by 
Addy's Cookbook: A Peek at Dining in the Past with Meals You Can Cook Today by 
Come Juneteenth by 
Juneteenth by 
Juneteenth for Mazie by 
The Story of Juneteenth: An Interactive History Adventure by History of Juneteenth
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