Juneteenth

Governor Inslee last month officially declared Juneteenth a paid state holiday in Washington starting in 2022. Yesterday, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, making Juneteenth also a federal holiday effective immediately.

“Juneteenth celebrations are a good time, but they also serve to educate and reeducate the community about Black history and local struggles, … It is also an opportunity to get organized because the struggle for Black freedom continues”, said LaTaSha Levy (assistant professor, Department of American Ethnic Studies) in a recent UW article. Levy also responds to questions about:

How should people observe Juneteenth?
What do people not know about Juneteenth?
How is Juneteenth taught in school?
Washington is one of a handful of states that have designated Juneteenth a paid state holiday. Is that significant?
As a scholar of African American history, can you describe the current, and growing, awareness of and movements for social justice, and against police violence and systemic racism?

For Juneteenth, the resources listed below – compiled by our colleagues at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (Team for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity; TIDE) – may help you make the most of this day for yourself, our communities, state, and nation, by celebrating and supporting Black communities.

Read

– Henry Louis Gates’ history of Juneteenth

– YWCA’s history and contemporary significance of Juneteenth

– 12 Fascinating Facts about Juneteenth

– Books for adults and for adults, teens, and kids

– Books (and more!) and books for K-5 kiddos from the Seattle Public Library

– Learn about Juneteenth food traditions and explore Juneteenth recipes

Listen

– The Code Switch episode on Juneteenth in 2021 — what does it mean for Juneteenth to become “mainstream”?

– The Be Antiracist podcast with Ibram X. Kendi episode on Juneteenth

– Online Juneteenth musical celebrations

– Juneteenth Joy playlist on Spotify