Sometimes referred to as ‘Freedom Day,’ Juneteenth honors the day – June 19, 1865 – on which enslaved people of Texas became free - two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.
June 19th—shortened to Juneteenth— serves as a day to acknowledge the painful legacy of slavery and honor the resilience and achievements of African Americans. It is often considered the longest-running African-American holiday but was never recognized as an official holiday until 2021 when President Joe Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
The Edison Public Library’s collections offer a vast selection of materials that highlight the struggles of enslaved people in this country, celebrate the resilience of African Americans, and honor the fierce activism of those who worked tirelessly to bring legitimacy to Juneteenth. |
