Juneteenth Celebration

Learn more about a monumental day in United States history – Juneteenth (a linguistic blending of “June” and “Nineteenth”). On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, the remaining enslaved people in the farthest corners of the former Confederacy (Texas) finally received word that they were no longer enslaved.

On June 19^th of the following year, 1866, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. The original observances included prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals, and it became an important tradition to wear new clothes to symbolize their newfound freedom. Celebrations have continued across the United States and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings, and festivals with music, food, and dancing. The day is also known as “Jubilee Day”, or “Emancipation Day”.

Stanford’s Juneteenth Recognition Committee, made up of representatives of the Black Coalition, the Black Staff Alliance, the IDEAL Staff Advisory Committee, Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE), and the Vice Provost for Institutional Equity, Access and Community, encourages you to take part in the university’s celebration of Juneteenth through participating in some or all of the free online events below. 

• Panel Discussion: "Freedom was not Free" online panel discussion in honor of the history of Juneteenth with narratives from Stanford staff and their families who are descendants of enslaved people. | Monday, June 21, Noon-1 pm (PST) 

Panelists are:

Ayodele Thomas, Ph.D. Office of Graduate Education (OGE); descendants of Ballew-Broaddus-Simpson-Noland family from Central Kentucky

Jim Embry, Father of Ayodele Thomas; descendants of Ballew-Broaddus-Simpson-Noland family from Central Kentucky

Lettie McGuire, Stanford ACES Aware ECHO, Stanford Medicine; descendants of Lettie Mae (Long) Smith & Thomas Charles Smith from Waco, Texas. Taken from: Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria

View the "Freedom was not Free" flyer for full details

• Foods of the Black Diaspora Cooking Demonstration Join Executive Chef Terry, Lakeside R&DE, for a 30-minute demonstration as he prepares catfish étouffée, raspberry lemonade, and more. | June 18-25

• Stanford Juneteenth Library Guide curated by Felicia A. Smith, MLIS., Racial Justice and Social Equity Librarian. This Juneteenth Library Guide is available to teach about this monumental yet overlooked event and contains a Juneteenth African American Independence Day Overview by Stanford Librarians, Stanford Sources on Juneteenth, and additional Background Information from Stanford Librarians, the National Museum of African American History & Culture, and the Equal Justice Initiative

Additional ways to celebrate

• Use a Juneteenth Zoom background(link is external) (online listing) to show your support and commitment.

Learn more about Juneteenth

• Celebrating Juneteenth(link is external), Smithsonian National Museum of African American Culture & History (NMAACH)
• So you want to learn about Juneteenth?(link is external) New York Times, June 2 2021 (may require a login)
• What is Juneteenth? Why we honor it(link is external), Kid History video from 2020 (3:23)
• High on the Hog(link is external), a Netflix limited series, especially the last episode which focuses on Juneteenth (requires a subscription) (learn more about this series before you watch it in this NYT essay: The Profound Significance of ‘High on the Hog’(link is external)) 

 If you're in the Bay Area, participate in events happening in the Bay Area and Northern California

• June 13 - June 19: Juneteenth in the Park Festival(link is external), San Jose (Santa Clara County)
• June 18, 11:30 am - 7:30 pm: CA State Capitol Juneteenth, From Slavery To Freedom Celebration(link is external)
• June 18, 5:30 pm: “Monumental Reckoning” Unveiling of 350 New Statues Protesting Slavery(link is external), Golden Gate Park Temple of Music
• June 19 - June 20, time TBD: San Francisco Juneteenth Weekend(link is external), Fillmore District
• June 19, 11:30 am - 4:30 pm: Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Festival(link is external), Antioch
• June 19, 12:30 - 3:00 pm: Juneteenth Festival at Bayview Opera House(link is external)
• June 19, 1:00 - 5:00 pm: Juneteenth Festival: Learn and Celebrate Freedom(link is external), Lincoln Park