Kansas City Public Library: Commemorating Juneteenth

Kansas City MO

09 June, 2022

7:52 AM

Description

Press release from the Kansas City Public Library: June 7, 2022 Juneteenth marks the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans following the end of the Civil War. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, delivering the news that the war, and slavery itself in the United States, had come to an end — two months after the surrender of Confederate forces, and nearly 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the South. This milestone in America's history came to be known as Juneteenth — combining "June" and "Nineteenth" — and is observed annually, providing a chance for the nation to celebrate and explore the meaning of freedom, then and now. In commemoration of the holiday, the Library offers book recommendations, films, and other resources that highlight the history of the Black experience in America. *All Library locations will be closed on Sunday, June 19 and Monday, June 20, 2022 in observance of Juneteenth. This press release was produced by the Kansas City Public Library. The views expressed here are the author's own.