6 books that explain the history and meaning of Juneteenth

A Juneteenth celebration in Prospect Park in New York City in 2022. Michael Nagle/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images After decades of being celebrated at mostly the local level, Juneteenth – the long-standing holiday that commemorates the arrival of news of emancipation and freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 – became a federal holiday in 2021. In honor of this year’s Juneteenth, The Conversation reached out to Wake Forest University humanities professor Corey D. B. Walker for a list of readings that can help people better understand the history and meaning of the observance. Below, Walker recommends six books. ‘On Juneteenth’ Combining history and memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed’s “On Juneteenth” offers a moving history of African American life and culture through the prism of Juneteenth. The award-winning Harvard historian presents an intimate portrait of the experiences of her family and her memories of life as an African American girl growing up in segregated Texas. The essays in her book invite readers to enter a world shaped by the forces of freedom and slavery. Reed’s exploration of the history and legacy of Juneteenth is a poignant reminder of the hard history all Americans face. ‘O Freedom! Afro-American Emancipation...