2026 Juneteenth Resource Page: Celebrate, Learn, Connect

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Written By Zach Parish

CELEBRATE

Join us for this year's Juneteenth celebration, Freedom and Resilience, on Thursday, June 18 from 7:00–9:00 pm at Jeffrey Mansion (165 N Parkview Ave.). Hosted by the Bexley Public Library in partnership with the City of Bexley, Bexley Community Foundation, Bexley Minority Parent Alliance, One Bexley, and other local organizations, this family-friendly evening will feature live music by Harmony, light refreshments, and student musical performances and artistic expressions, exploring the theme of freedom and resilience.

Artwork, spoken word, and music to be provided by students from Bexley, Columbus School for Girls, and Africentric, highlighting youth voices across our community.

LEARN

READ - Booklists for all ages to learn about and celebrate Juneteenth.

  • Books for Adults:

  • Books for Teens:

  • Books for All Ages:

 

LISTEN - Podcast episodes to listen to this month to better understand the Juneteenth holiday.

AAS Podcast - 2025 Juneteenth Episode (June 19, 2025)

African American Studies at Princeton University

In this powerful special edition of the AAS Podcast, host Tera Hunter—Chair of Princeton’s Department of African American Studies—leads an urgent and reflective Juneteenth conversation with distinguished scholars Joshua Guild and Khalil Gibran Muhammad. Together, they explore the deep historical roots and contemporary significance of Juneteenth, not merely as a commemoration of emancipation, but as a critical reminder of the ongoing struggle for Black freedom and justice in America.

Episode 150: Juneteenth Celebration (July 10, 2023)

American Writers Museum Podcasts

This week, Black writers and artists celebrate Juneteenth by discussing their crafts and their activism in the context of our special exhibit Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice, on view now at the American Writers Museum. This conversation originally took place June 19, 2023 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum.

Juneteenth: Are We Really Free? (June 19, 2022)

Kut & Kutx Studios

Juneteenth is celebrated annually in commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, marking the day enslaved people in Texas were finally freed — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The national holiday is known by many names, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, Emancipation Day, and Jubilee Day. In this hour-long audio documentary, KUT’s Miles Bloxson an Austin native, speaks to Black Austinites about the history of Juneteenth, how they celebrate the holiday, what Juneteenth means to them and explores the question, “Are We Really Free?”

Black Soldiers & their Families in the Civil War (May 29, 2023)

Unsung History

As soon as the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, free Black men in the North rushed to enlist, but they were turned away, as President Lincoln worried that arming Black soldiers would lead to secession by the border states. With the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the dire need for more recruits to the Union Army, Black soldiers were formally welcomed into the armed forces, eventually comprising 10% of the Union Army. It wasn’t just the Black soldiers who fought and sacrificed for their country, though, it was also their families they left behind as they marched off to war. Joining me in this episode is Dr. Holly A. Pinheiro, Jr., Assistant Professor of African American History at Furman University and author of The Families’ Civil War: Black Soldiers and the Fight for Racial Justice.

 

WATCH - Explore these videos for new perspectives on the meaning and history of Juneteenth.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (June 15, 2022).

Kevin Young, Andrew W. Mellon Director, NMAAHC moderates a panel of scholars as they discuss the historic and social complexity of Juneteenth exploring the lessons that the holiday imparts, historically and currently, about social justice, democracy, community-building, and cultivating climates of hope. Panelists include Imani Perry, Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University, and author of South to America, and Hassan Jeffries, Historian, Ohio State University, among others. Generously supported by CVS Health.

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture (June 7, 2022) - NMAAHC Oral History Specialist Kelly Navies talks about the history of Juneteenth.

 

ENGAGE - Further explore these interactive online resources for a deeper understanding of Juneteenth’s history and tradition.

CONNECT

Build community by exploring these Juneteenth celebrations happening around Columbus:

Zach Parish
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