Five Ways We’re Celebrating Juneteenth

Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, is a day for celebration as well as reflection on continued racial injustices. In honor of this day, we’re sharing five things our staff are reading, watching, and listening to:

1. LISTEN: ‘On Juneteenth’ Historian Examines The ‘Hope’ And ‘Hostility’ Toward Emancipation. This episode of NPR’s Fresh Air delves into slavery in America and emancipation. The conversation details what Juneteenth represents and contextualizes the holiday in America.
2. WATCH: The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. Examining gay liberation and transgender rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, a key figure in the Stonewall uprising who died in suspicious circumstances in 1992, this documentary shines a light on the epidemic of violence against trans women.
3. WATCH: Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten. This documentary memorializes the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921, during which the “Black Wall Street” was destroyed by a mob of White residents. It features interviews with activists and highlights the resilience of Black Tulsa residents today.
4. READ: Black America’s Neglected Origin Stories. The American educational system has historically failed to accurately teach Black history. In this article, Annette Gordon-Reed demonstrates how the origin stories of Black people in America are much more complex than many of us learn in school.
5. WATCH: Time. This documentary follows a woman’s fight for the release of her husband, serving a 60-year sentence in Louisiana for his participation in an armed bank robbery. It highlights how prisons touch not just incarcerated people, but everyone connected.