This presentation will explain the history of Juneteenth (June 19th) in America as the final enslaved people were notified of their freedom almost three years after the Emancipation Proclamation and after the passing of the 13th Amendment. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war was over and the enslaved were now, finally, free. Professor Carter Jackson will give an overview of the history and explore the various ways Black communities have created traditions, parades, recipes and cultivated the joy of emancipation and freedom. Juneteenth is a holiday all Americans should celebrate by acknowledging the pain and harm of slavery while also celebrating the joy and jubilee of freedom.

Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson is the co-editor of Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, & Memory and an associate professor in the department of Africana Studies at Wellesley College.

This program is sponsored by Belmont Public Library, Belmont Against Racism, Belmont Council on Aging, the public libraries of Chelmsford, Lincoln, Maynard, Newton, Sherborn, Wayland and Cary Library in Lexington.

Registration is required: please fill out the form HERE to sign up, or call 617-993-2870 to register. Zoom access details will be sent in a reminder email prior to the program.