This Friday is Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the United States. To honor, acknowledge, and encourage observance of this critical day in our nation’s history, the Climate and Culture Committee of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has compiled the following resources and virtual celebrations. We are sharing their thoughtful work.
History:
https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm
https://nmaahc.tumblr.com/post/121925744985/the-historical-legacy-of-juneteenth
Several American companies declared Juneteenth a company holiday this year and took the opportunity to make policy statements or better yet revise them:
Virtual Celebrations:
Malden’s Juneteenth celebration: Friday, June 19 at 9:00 a.m. on Zoom. Led by Malden Community Organizing for Racial Equity (MaldenCORE), this will be an opportunity to learn about Juneteenth and honor the history, legacy, and culture of our African American and Black community members. To pre register: https://bit.ly/MaldenJuneteenth2020. MaldenCORE’s mission includes confronting racism, promoting multi-ethnic and multicultural representation in leadership and staffing of Malden institutions, working to establish a common language and common understanding of racism and its effects, and promoting justice, equity, and inclusion.
Boston celebrations: http://www.juneteenth.com/mass.htm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: https://www.mfa.org/event/community-celebrations/juneteenth
National Museum of African American History and Culture: https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/juneteenth-celebration-resilience
North Shore Juneteenth Association: https://north-shore-juneteenth-assoc.constantcontactsites.com/
Children’s Books:
https://coloursofus.com/10-childrens-books-celebrating-juneteen