Juneteenth Will Be Celebrated At Hennepin County Library On June 14

Press release from the Hennepin County Library:

May 22, 2020

Juneteenth is said to be the oldest African American celebration of emancipation from slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, but news of emancipation moved slowly. For the next two and a half years, enslaved Africans and black abolitionists persevered in the struggle for freedom.

In Texas, formerly enslaved Africans celebrated their emancipation on June 19, 1865, and since then, Juneteenth has been remembered and celebrated as a holiday. From the late nineteenth century through today, typical Juneteenth celebrations across the country include parades, speeches by African American community leaders, singing of traditional songs such as “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and dancing.

In the spirit of Juneteenth, celebrate Blackness with the following books:

• My Blackness is Beautiful: Nonfiction
• My Blackness is Beautiful: Fiction
• My Blackness is Beautiful: Picture Books

Online Juneteenth celebrations

Celebrate this significant moment in African American history at an all-ages online community event! Enjoy powerful stories, performances, rhythms and songs. Juneteenth honors families reuniting, just as our ancestors took their freedom and reconnected with lost relatives. During this time of physical distancing, Juneteenth celebrations still bring us closer together.

Live on Hennepin County Library's Facebook page:

• Sunday, June 14, 2-4 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 16, 6-8 p.m.

Performers include:

• Voice of Culture Drum and Dance
• Million Artist Movement
• Black Storytellers Alliance
• Neverending Storycircle
• Journey Productions
• Passed Presents
• Black Table Arts

Funded by Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

This press release was produced by the Hennepin County Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.