Juneteenth Resources

Juneteenth Picnic by Arthello Beck

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of African-Americans following the Civil War and is celebrated on June 19 which is the anniversary of the 1865 announcement that all enslaved persons in Texas were free. Juneteenth has been state holiday in Texas since 1980 and became a federal holiday in 2021.

Teachers of summer programs are asked to recognize Juneteenth and include instruction on the holiday using the resources included on this smore.

Junettenth Mural in Galveston, Texas

Nonfiction Informational Texts

Juneteenth (Available in Sora, log into Classlink to access)

Explainer: The Story of Juneteenth, the New Federal Holiday June 21, 2021 (460 Lexile article, 560 Lexile article)

Celebrating Juneteenth (670 Lexile article)

Juneteenth ( Kids Britannica article)

A Juneteenth Celebration ( TIME for Kids article)

Celebrating Juneteenth ( TIME for Kids article)

Fiction Texts

Opal Lee and What It Means to be Free (Available in Sora, log into Classlink to access)

Read-Aloud Videos of Fiction Texts

Juneteenth for Mazie

All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom Read Aloud

Juneteenth Jamboree

Informational Videos

Juneteenth from Brainpop ( 3rd-5th grades, log into Classlink to access)

Activities

Comprehension Activity (Please make a copy and edit as needed.)

Juneteenth Historical Marker in Galveston, Texas

Nonfiction Informational Texts

Explainer the Story of Juneteenth, the New Federal Holiday, June 20, 2021 (PDF, Newsela)

The History of Juneteenth (PDF, Newsela)

Historical Legacy of Juneteenth (NMAAHC)

NMAAHC Kids Understanding and Celebrating Juneteenth (NMAAHC)

What Is Juneteenth (NMAAHC)

Slavery Didn't End on Juneteenth. What You Should Know About this Important Day (NPR)

The Story Behind Galveston's New Juneteenth Mural (Houston Public Media)

Juneteenth 2023 Text Set from Newsela (login into Classlink and open Newsela)

Videos

Rendition of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (NMAAHC)

Juneteenth Blackademics (PBS LearningMedia)

Crash Course Black American History #18: Black Americans in the Civil War (YouTube)

Discussion and Notebook Prompts

• Given that the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, why was it necessary to have a Juneteenth decree two years later?
• What conditions allowed Texas to ignore the document outlawing slavery?
• Why do you think Juneteenth is not a more widely known holiday?
• How is Juneteenth connected to the unity of the African American community?
• What would be the benefits of more Americans of all backgrounds knowing more about Black history?

Segment of Juneteenth Quilt by Renee Allen

Please reach out to any of us with questions or feedback:

Patrick Pyle, Director of Social Studies, at ppyle1@saisd.net

Veronica Hellamns, Director of Elementary R-LA, at vhellamns1@saisd.net

Janet Hester, Director of Secondary R-LA, at jhester1@saisd.net