Celebrating Juneteenth

June 15, 2022

Dear Villa Community,

Last June, Juneteenth was declared a national holiday. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of ending slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. The Emancipation Proclamation, which had become official on January 1, 1863, had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order until two years later, on June 19, 1865.

Across the country, most states, as well as the District of Columbia, formally recognize Juneteenth. As a school, we want to celebrate this historic event on Monday, June 20, with related literature and activities. Educating our staff, students, and families about the significance of this holiday is in keeping with our school’s commitment to bringing more awareness to matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We appreciate the efforts of our board’s DE&I sub-committee and staff and parent committees, who have been working to support our growth in these areas.

Read and Learn About Juneteenth as a Family

Celebrating this holiday is only meaningful if you understand what’s being celebrated. You can start by checking out some of the many books about this holiday and discussing them as a family! If you can’t get your hands on these before June 19, there’s a good chance you can listen to read-alongs of some of these on YouTube.

You can also learn more on macaronikid.com and watch a Sesame Street video about Juneteenth here.

Picture Books & Young Readers