Summary
Monday marked just the second time in U.S. history that the federal government has recognized Juneteenth. The holiday celebrates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought word of slavery’s end to Galveston, Texas, freeing the last enslaved people after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. For a transcript of the story, click here .Five Facts
- Where was Juneteenth first celebrated?
- When did Juneteenth become a national holiday?
- What does the holiday represent?
- Why does Prof. Peniel Joseph say that Juneteenth is as important for the country as July 4th?
- How are some people pushing back against racial progress, according to Joseph? Cite one example.
Focus Questions
If you wanted to celebrate Juneteenth, how would you do it? Do a search on the internet to see what events took place near you this year. Media literacy: Who else would you like to see interviewed in this segment?For More
Click on the image below to read the following article with your students. You may wish to jigsaw the article by having different groups of students take one of the bold sections and report the main idea back to class.
Leo Kamin, who is a rising sophomore at Amherst College and Newshour Classroom intern, wrote today's lesson with editing from Victoria Pasquantonio.
