Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the day African slaves were freed after the American civil war, is on June 19th. This holiday isn’t widely celebrated across America, like July 4th, and doesn’t come with its own color scheme, merch & aisle at your nearest department store, but it is just as important. If you want to celebrate Juneteenth along with or instead of July 4th this year, here are some ideas on how you can do just that.
Visit an African American History Museum
Visiting a museum that is dedicated to telling the truths about our history in this country and the cultures of our ancestors is a great way to celebrate Juneteenth. You’ll feel connected to your roots and be educated, all while patronizing institutions that care about where we come from. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture would be a monumental way to be amongst our people and connect with our past. The only downside is that the museum is in D.C, which may be a bit too far for some to travel. Luckily most states have at least one museum or exhibit dedicated to African American history and culture. A quick google search can help you find one of these places so you can start planning your trip for the near future.
Watch a Documentary about African American History
If you find that you aren’t in close proximity to a museum, or are short on time & money, you can still educate yourself right at home. There are so many documentaries and programs available on streaming services like Netflix and Hulu that you can watch on or for Juneteenth. Ava DuVernay’s Netflix documentary 13th, The Black Panthers PBS documentary are great options. These are not specifically about Juneteenth or slavery but they do inspire reflection on the African American experience and put you in the frame of mind to appreciate the struggles of our ancestors and the distance we have come as a community.
See what your community has to offer
Many communities and churches in Black communities have festivals, parades and other celebrations for Juneteenth. Each community & state usually has something unique to offer on or the weekend before Juneteenth. Houston TX has a Juneteenth Walk to Freedom, Phoenix AZ has a festival full of family fun and the list goes on. You may be surprised to find the plentiful options once you start looking for them. And when you do, remember to share them so these events get bigger and bigger over time.
Have a family get together!
Juneteenth doesn’t just have to be about education and introspection. It can also be about family, fun, and FOOD! You can take this holiday to have a cookout with family and friends, whip up some soul food and play spades with the ones you love. What better way to celebrate our independence and love for each other than a good ole family cookout! Really, this is the way many of us celebrate any other holiday so why not give Juneteenth that same energy.
Post on Social media
A great thing you can do on Juneteenth is post about it on social media. Honestly, Facebook is the place where I actually learned what Juneteenth is and I know I’m not alone here. Many people still do not know what this holiday is all about, or how to celebrate it, so we need to do our part in letting our people know! You can share articles that talk about what Juneteenth is, articles about how to celebrate it (like this one!) and post what activities you do to celebrate it. Whether you know it or not, your posts will educate and inspire others to celebrate the holiday with their family and friends in the future.
If you aren’t able to pull anything together or missed the festivities this year, I encourage you to mark your calendar for next year and create a tradition of your own. I really hope to see this holiday become bigger in the coming years, especially within our community. Who knows, it could one day become a federal holiday in the future but all of that starts with recognition and celebration within our community first.
