The Juneteenth Story
Celebrating the End of Slavery in the United States
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
With colorful illustrations and a timeline, this introductory history of Juneteenth for kids details the evolution of the holiday commemorating the date the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom.
On June 19, 1865—more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation—the enslaved people of Texas first learned of their freedom. That day became a day of remembrance and celebration that changed and grew from year to year.
Learn about the events that led to emancipation and why it took so long for the enslaved people in Texas to hear the news. The first Juneteenth began as “Jubilee Day,” where families celebrated and learned of their new rights as citizens. As Black Texans moved to other parts of the country, they brought their traditions along with them, and Juneteenth continued to grow and develop.
Today, Juneteenth’s powerful spirit has endured through the centuries to become an official holiday in the United States in 2021. The Juneteenth Story provides an accessible introduction for kids to learn about this important American holiday.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In lengthy prose, Agostini's debut sketches a well-contextualized American history of enslaved Black persons, demonstrating that the end of slavery was merely a first step: "Independence Day did not free them. It would take eighty-nine more years until enslaved people, too, would be free." In unlined cartoon-style art that sometimes confusingly mingles past and present, historical characters react to the Emancipation Proclamation and subsequent events as Black characters in contemporary attire discuss the holiday's history. Cloud's images capture the jubilation of the newly free in a spectrum of brown faces, and the disappointment of those same faces when Jim Crow laws take much of what had been gained. A consolidated history subsequently follows Juneteenth through to its 2021 recognition as an official holiday. Back matter includes a timeline of "Emancipation Day," eventually known as Juneteenth, and an author's note. Ages 6–9.
