Blog by the Black365 Team
Why is Juneteenth an important holiday to African Americans? In 1865, General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, Texas with important news. He announced that enslaved Black people were finally free. This news was a turning point as it put the Emancipation Proclamation into action. Slavery was officially over in the United States.
Juneteenth is celebrated every year on June 19, the anniversary of that announcement. The very first celebrations took place in Texas. They were held in churches and community gathering spaces for African Americans. Over time, the holiday gained recognition across the country. In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday.
Today, Juneteenth is a time to reflect on history. It honors the ongoing pursuit of freedom and equality for African Americans. That struggle did not end in 1865 — it continues to this day.
Celebrate Juneteenth at AC Library
- Pick up a copy of Juneteenth: America Celebrates Freedom Day Educational Activities Book! Available starting Monday, June 8 at any AC Library location while supplies last.
- Juneteenth and Pride Family Dance Party at Newark Library on Wednesday, June 17 at 2 pm
- Juneteenth Dance Party at Centerville Library on Thursday, June 18 at 4 pm
Juneteenth Celebrations in Alameda County
- 3rd Annual Newark Juneteenth Freedom Day, Thursday, June 18, 1-5 pm, Newark Pavilion, 6430 Thornton Ave., Newark, CA 94560
- Free Park Day & Events, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Friday, June 19, East Bay Regional Park District locations
- Juneteenth! at the Museum, Friday, June 19, 11 am-4 pm, Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607
- Hella Juneteenth Festival, Friday, June 19, 12-6 pm, Cloud Park, 1911 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94612
- San Leandro Juneteenth Celebration, Friday, June 19, 4-9 pm, Butterfly Plaza, 1446 Washington Ave., San Leandro CA 94577
- Berkeley Juneteenth Festival, Sunday, June 21, 11 am-7 pm, Alcatraz Ave. and Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703
- 19th Annual Oakland Juneteenth Celebration, Saturday, June 27, 11 am-6 pm, 925 Brockhurst St., Oakland, CA 94608
Bay Area Celebrations for Juneteenth
- Pleasant Hill Juneteenth Celebration, Friday, June 5, 5-9 pm, Chilpancingo Park on Golf Club Road
- Juneteenth San Francisco Freedom Celebration, Saturday, June 13, 11 am-6 pm, Fillmore District
- Pinole Pride and Juneteenth Celebration, opens a new window, Sunday, June 14, 12-2 pm, Fernandez Park, 595 Tennent Ave., Pinole, CA 94564
- Milpitas Juneteenth Celebration, opens a new window, Saturday, June 20, 11:30 am-4:30 pm, Sunnyhills Augustine Park, Cortez St. & Coelho St., Milpitas, CA 95035
- Richmond Juneteenth Festival, opens a new window, Saturday, June 20, 10 am – 6 pm, Nicholl Park, 3230 Macdonald Ave, Richmond, CA 94804
- San Francisco Juneteenth Parade, opens a new window (Market St. & 2nd St. to Fulton Plaza), Saturday, June 20, 11 am-3:30 pm
- Juneteenth Bayview Father’s Day Festival, opens a new window, Sunday, June 21, 12-6 pm, Gilman Park, 903 Gilman Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124
Online Resources About African American History and Culture
- Black Freedom Struggle Collection: Diversity & Ethnic Studies eBooks: This subscription collection includes academic eBooks related to diversity, anti-racism, ethnic studies, disability studies, gerontology and age studies, migration studies, gender and sexuality studies, cultural studies, and religious studies.
- Black Life in America:, opens a new window The experience and impact of African Americans as recorded by the news media, 1704 to today.
- Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection:, opens a new window A collaborative project which provides access to materials documenting the roles and experiences of Black Women in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and, more broadly, women’s rights, voting rights, and civic activism between the 1850s and 1960.
- Discover & Go: , opens a new windowDiscover & Go provides instant online access to free and low-cost tickets to museums, science centers, zoos, theatres, and other fun local cultural venues.
- Diversity & Ethnic Studies eBooks, opens a new window: This subscription collection includes academic eBooks related to diversity, anti-racism, ethnic studies, disability studies, gerontology and age studies, migration studies, gender and sexuality studies, cultural studies, and religious studies.
- Ebony Magazine Archive, opens a new window: Ebony is one of the key African American magazines of the 20th century, covering 20th and 21st-Century current events, art, design, politics and culture, literature, advertising, and more. Search for Kwanzaa to see a variety of articles.
- Ethnic Diversity Source, opens a new window: With its curated full-text materials, Ethnic Diversity Source is essential to support the study of African Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans, Jewish Americans, Latinx Americans, Multiracial Americans, and Native Americans, among others, with respect to their cultures, traditions, social treatment, and lived experiences.
- Jet Magazine Archive:, opens a new window JET Magazine Archive covers the civil rights movement, politics, education, and other social topics with an African American focus. It includes over 3,000 issues providing a broad view of news, culture, and entertainment from its first issue in 1951 through 2014.
Booklists
Books about Juneteenth and Freedom for adults and young adults.
Juneteenth books for young readers.
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