Juneteenth

On June 19 each year, a powerful celebration resonates across the United States. This date marks Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, an observance that has transformed from a Texas tradition into a nationwide movement. Juneteenth celebrates a seminal moment in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and announced a groundbreaking truth: slavery was officially over. Shockingly, this came two and a half years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation due to the absence of Union enforcement in Texas.

Declared a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth stands as a crucial milestone in the journey towards racial equality. In the sphere of street culture and fashion, where diversity and expression take center stage, this day is an opportunity to reflect and push forward. It's a reminder that we should always challenge the norms, stand up for justice, and use our unique platforms to evoke change. Just like the culture we celebrate, Juneteenth encapsulates the struggle, triumph, and ongoing fight for a future free from racial disparities. It's a day for us, as creators and innovators, to recognize the past, celebrate progress, and passionately strive for a better future.

Juneteenth is observed annually on June 19 in the United States.

Juneteenth exists to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday is specifically tied to June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced federal orders proclaiming that all slaves in Texas were free.

Although President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued on January 1, 1863, had formally freed slaves in Confederate-held territories, the lack of Union troops in Texas to enforce the order meant that the vast majority of slaves were not actually freed until General Granger's announcement.

Juneteenth is thus a celebration of the end of slavery and a recognition of the struggles faced by African Americans both during slavery and in the years since. It serves as a day of reflection, recognition, and celebration of African American history and culture and a reminder of the ongoing fight for racial justice and equality.

A monumental step was taken in June 2021 when Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday, thanks to President Joe Biden signing the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. This achievement, made possible through bipartisan support, signifies an official acknowledgment of Juneteenth's deep-seated significance in American history.

To celebrate and commemorate Juneteenth, we bring you a personally curated reading list to celebrate some of our favorite Black authors. Check out our Juneteenth-curated book selection for the full list.

- Invisible Man (1952) by Ralph Waldo Ellison
- A Knock at Midnight (2020) by Brittany K. Barnett
- Small Country (2016) by Gaël Faye
- The Water Dancer (2019) by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Dark Matters (2015) by Simone Browne

What better way to celebrate Juneteenth than supporting the Black American creative community? While not commercializing the holiday, (there was that whole tone-deaf Walmart debacle, lest we forget), we compiled some of the best Black-owned brands right now that we should be supporting.

- Torch Sportswear

- Yitty

- Who Decides War

- Riot Swim

- LaQuan Smith

- Denim Tears

- Fenty

- Christopher John Rogers

Based on our extensive curation, which you can find in our Juneteenth streaming guide, this is what you should be watching this Juneteenth

- Juneteenth Jamboree: From a Free Place to Displace

- Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming

- Onia

- We Won't Bow Down

- Miss Juneteenth