Tuesday, June 4, 2024
"On Juneteenth, we remember the date the last enslaved Americans received the news of their freedom. We must teach our children the lessons from our shared American history. Our history is replete with inequality and injustice, all alongside moments of freedom and movements towards liberation. Let us embrace one of the lessons I take from Juneteenth: Our history has continually made room for greater acceptance and freedom, and so can our present day."
-Dr. Jill Underly, Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Juneteenth holiday began on June 19, 1865, when "some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state, were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as 'Juneteenth' by the newly freed people in Texas."
Juneteenth is our most recently declared federal holiday, and while most schools in Wisconsin will already be out of the classroom for the summer, it nonetheless deserves our attention, study, and to be added to school curricula. Here's a quick resource guide to get to know the holiday, to deepen your knowledge, and to honor the history of Juneteenth.
- From ConnectEd: Get to Know Juneteenth: From History to Celebration
- From Wisconsin Libraries for Everyone: Mark Juneteenth Day with a Good Read