06/19/2026
12 Things You Might Not Know About Juneteenth: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/501680/12-things-you-might-not-know-about-juneteenth
Juneteenth Reading List: https://www.smithsonianstore.com/museum-stores/african-american-history-culture/juneteenth-reading-list/
"We celebrate Juneteenth because our ancestors took their rage and immediately converted it into independence. The holiday itself is a monument to their freedom and their independence.
When you gather on June 19th, fire up the grill, and pour the red drink, your joy is not erasing the anger of 1865. It’s honoring the result of it.
The Jubilee is only possible because they had the audacity to get mad, walk off, and do their own thing.
We have to stop hiding from anger, especially when we talk about our history.
We should be more angry. If our ancestors had just been passive, grateful, and willing to “remain quietly,” there would be no Juneteenth.
Their anger is what made them leave, and their anger is what made them free."
-Michael Motley, Black History by One Mic, https://www.onemichistory.com/