Some of the Best Juneteenth Articles

The designation of Juneteenth as a national holiday in 2021 was the first time the government had designated a new national holiday since approving Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 1983.

While Congress and President Joe Biden moved swiftly after Biden’s election to make Juneteenth a national holiday, the move didn’t result in an automatic adoption from most states.

Lawmakers in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and other states have failed to advance proposals this year that would have closed state offices and given most of their public employees paid time off for the June 19 holiday.

Since becoming a federal holiday, it has become blatantly clear that many people have little to no understanding of what Juneteenth actually represents.

I have compiled a list of what I consider to be some helpful Medium articles to learn more about Juneteenth.

There are a lot of excellent Juneteenth articles on Medium. This list simply represents some of the more recent articles I (and many readers on Medium) have enjoyed reading.

I trust you will find this list helpful

Here We Go!

While I have far fewer followers than most of the writers on this list, and my article has nowhere near the circulation of most of the articles on this list, I have to start with my 2021 article on Juneteenth. It provides an excellent historical overview of the origins of Juneteenth.

I consider the following article to be a good CONCISE “nuts & bolts” about Juneteenth.

While there has been a lot of hype and fanfare surrounding Juneteenth since it became a national holiday, this article explores many things surrounding Juneteenth that often go unexamined.

The next article does an excellent job of distinguishing between so-called “freedom” and equality and illustrating how America has never reconciled racial inequities.

While Juneteenth did not mark the end of enslavement in the United States, this article explains why Americans should still celebrate Juneteenth.

This article does an excellent job of connecting Juneteenth to the #BlackLivesMatter Movement.

If you are looking for ideas regarding how to teach children about Juneteenth, this article is an excellent place to start. As the author points out, navigating the pain of slavery and the joy of freedom can be hard to do with young minds.

The next TWO articles consider “white exploitation” of the Juneteenth holiday.

The following is simply a piece I enjoyed and appreciated that reveals an honest introspective reflection of a white person during the Trump era wrestling with Juneteenth.

The following reflects many of the insane complaints and criticisms regarding the Juneteenth holiday. Read so you know how to respond.

A beautiFULL personal self-reflection!

I learned a lot about the history of a place that I was unaware of.

This article reminds us of how much work yet needs to be done regarding racial justice and equity.

I end with an article that turned me on to a film that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Happy Juneteenth!