That includes examining the intellectual and cultural foundations of the holiday: the people, places and events that often get overlooked or erased in social studies curriculums.

Juneteenth, the federal holiday in American history, holds special significance for many educators as it was championed by one of their own. , a former teacher 鈥� well into her nineties 鈥� led the charge for national recognition. While many schools across the country are off on June 19 in observance, the reason why is not as often taught, says Knowles.

Knowles, CEO and founder of the educational consulting firm Teach Heal Build, focuses on creating culturally affirming classrooms and communities. In April, he published the latest installment in the BOLDLY BLACK workbook series 鈥淢athematics and Science in Ancient Africa.鈥� The set was designed for third graders to explore topical principles and practices tied to Black culture 鈥� offering lessons they may not encounter in a traditional school setting.

Ahead of this year鈥檚 Juneteenth holiday, 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Trinity Alicia spoke with Knowles about what鈥檚 shifting in social studies instruction 鈥� particularly in Florida, the power of culturally responsive curriculums in today鈥檚 political climate and what motivates him in today鈥檚 sociopolitical climate.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

蜜桃影视: This year marks the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth, but it鈥檚 only been recognized as a federal holiday since 2021. Why is it so important, from an educator鈥檚 perspective, that Juneteenth became a national holiday?  

Juneteenth allows both teachers and students to explore some of the deeper, more despondent areas of American history that are often avoided. It helps us step outside traditional narratives and unpack the multiple perspectives and experiences that different people, particularly within the African-American and African diaspora communities, have had throughout American history. In this way, it gives students a chance to better understand the ongoing process of freedom.   

For example, Juneteenth is often seen as the definitive end of slavery, but that’s an oversimplification. In reality, it represents a moment in a much longer and more complex journey toward emancipation. This perspective encourages both teachers and students to engage with history in a more nuanced and meaningful way. 

It was also, for almost as many years, largely left untaught in schools. What impact does that have on America鈥檚 students and our society as a whole?  

Having been in education for almost two decades, I鈥檝e seen that when we don鈥檛 talk about important historical events 鈥� like those highlighted and signified by Juneteenth 鈥� we miss the opportunity to open up meaningful conversations in the classroom.   

I鈥檝e witnessed how this silence can lead to the creation of a generation of students who are apathetic, especially when it comes to social justice and socio-economic issues that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. However, when we engage with authentic stories and histories, it gives students the chance to develop empathy, compassion and a broader understanding of others鈥� experiences. This helps create more open-minded individuals who are better equipped to contribute positively to the diverse society we live in today. 

An educator named Opal Lee, known to be 鈥渢he grandmother of Juneteenth鈥� was a key advocate for the national recognition of the holiday. What significance does this hold for you knowing a fellow teacher led that charge?

Within the framework of American capitalism, we often fail to give educators the honor, respect and homage they truly deserve. Educators are the ones who mold the minds of our children 鈥� they have the power and potential to shape not only students鈥� academic paths but also their overall life trajectories. When educators are empowered to lead conversations about topics like Juneteenth 鈥� and when we recognize that the push to make Juneteenth a national holiday was led by an educator 鈥� it highlights the strength and influence we possess as a profession.   

It shows that our impact extends far beyond the walls of the classroom and can resonate throughout society as a whole. We have the ability to unlock the minds of the next generation and to use our knowledge, especially historical knowledge, as a powerful tool for change. By doing so, we not only inspire other educators but also challenge our country to examine all aspects of its past 鈥� even the ones that don鈥檛 neatly fit the traditional narrative of American history.  

Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of human and civil rights activist Malcolm X, over 10 years ago on Juneteenth, 鈥淲e’re in denial of the African holocaust.鈥� Malcolm X would鈥檝e been 100 years old last month, and we鈥檙e also 60 years from his assassination. On this Juneteenth, what do you want students to remember most about Malcolm X that they might not get from learning about other civil rights activists?  

As we celebrate Juneteenth this year, we must also reflect on civil rights activists beyond the immediate historical context of the holiday 鈥� especially when you think about figures like Malcolm X, who are usually misunderstood. His ideals and philosophy were labeled radical when taking a look at what he鈥檚 done overall for American history and the Black community in terms of uncovering darker truths as well as the denial of the American government and the experiences of African-Americans.

We live in a landscape right now and we鈥檙e told to move on and forget about those things we鈥檙e literally still dealing with as a community, but Malcolm X would want us to continue to advocate for our people and our students to be able to share our authentic experiences. And some of those experiences weren鈥檛 happy and joyous. But they have perpetrated so much psychological violence, which continues to happen in the classroom. And it was Malcolm X who stated that 鈥渙nly a fool would allow his oppressors to educate his children.鈥�  

What Juneteenth does within Black communities forces us to step up based on the sentiments that Malcolm X expressed within that quote to be able to affirm and be able to become more self-reliant when it comes to our economic issues and social issues. But when it comes to educational issues and being more responsible and more accountable for teaching our history, we鈥檙e no longer contingent on systems to be able to teach the truth and history in the United States. 

From the bans on AP African American History courses to the pushback against DEI policies in schools nationwide, how have you navigated this climate as an educator in Florida?

Florida is one of the most prominent hotspots for controversy in education and arguably an epicenter of these debates. We鈥檝e seen significant pushback against inclusive and truthful historical narratives, and it forces educators in schools to sanitize history and continue to perpetuate a fairytale traditional narrative of American history. This sort of censorship disproportionately impacts social studies instruction, which creates a sense of frustration and a disconnect, which leads to a disengagement with students.   

Throughout my work in public education, I have continued to push back and resist by looking at some of our state standards and benchmarks when it comes specifically to social studies and ensuring that I can tie in our stories and tie in those things that people label 鈥渃ontroversial鈥� or 鈥減olitical.鈥� I have weaponized the language itself and weaponized some of the state standards so we can continue to tell our stories unredacted. 

Why is it important that Black parents, teachers and administrators are well represented in the decision-making process for schools?

One of the aspects of American history I don’t think that we unpack enough as a community is just some of the deleterious impacts that integration had within the Black community. A lot of the institutions, specifically the educational institution after integration, was absorbed by the dominant, more prevalent society. 

It is important, even within the current state of the system we鈥檙e in, that our voices are heard, our perspectives are heard especially when it comes to policies, processes, practices and procedures in education. Those who live in the community can have better, more viable solutions to some of the issues that we contend with within a community. I鈥檝e seen processes within education when people outside of our community are making decisions, and those decisions are not necessarily meeting or accommodating the needs of the community. 

It is beyond critical that Black educators and educational leaders are given space to represent the issues and also the authentic, lived experiences and even some of the cultural norms that exist within those communities so they can be in a position to represent and also advocate for the things that are needed within the Black community.

In your years as an educator and advocate, what surprises you the most about trends and interests among Black students now versus when you were a kid in America? Do Black students and educators come into school 鈥� and specifically social studies classes 鈥� thinking, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the point?鈥�

Many children, especially those who are informed, are becoming activists around current events tied to identity. Students who are becoming outspoken, specifically a lot of our student-led organizations such as like Black Student Unions, for example, are able to take charge against the racism and bigotry here in Florida and amplify their voices around some of the injustice that is taking place in curriculum, which essentially violates our First Amendment.

You just a new workbook for students, 鈥淏OLDLY BLACK: Science and Mathematics in Ancient Africa.鈥� What do you hope to achieve by releasing this series?

Information is widely more available than it was during my high school era in the 1990s simply due to the digital age we live in today. Sometimes we look at technology as being a destructive force, but it influences me to maintain a working knowledge of it in order to effectively show students how to access the information that we couldn鈥檛 when we were their ages.

Part of my activism and my solution-based approaches to things we鈥檙e dealing with within the Black community, specifically regarding American history that focuses on our experiences, is creating [this] Afro-centric workbook series that is geared towards students from grades three through 12. My third grade title is 鈥淢athematics and Science in Ancient Africa,鈥� and my goal is creating a curriculum that is concise and also digestible within the hands of parents and also community members.

In states where legislation is trying to restrict what we can say and do within the classroom, communities 鈥� and specifically Black communities 鈥� need to start building their own infrastructures and using some of the space within the Black communities. For example, community centers and also churches are safe, liberating spaces that can be found in Black communities that teach our history. 

Community members and those who may not be experts in pedagogy and pedagogical approaches can pick this up and share this information with their children. Some of those gaps and things that may be missing within the public educational system are now within the hands of the community to be able to educate and affirm all our children.

Thinking about classrooms and curriculums across the country 鈥� what keeps you up at night, and what are you most hopeful for?

In this current climate, I have such hope and optimism. I understand that Black communities have gone through far worse. Our whole experience within just the United States even before it became the United States and colonial America has been turmoil. 

But us as Black people have had agency and power to resist the oppression and repression of our voices and our experiences as well as our humanity in this country in the most profound ways. We鈥檝e found ways to resist, push back and also provide for ourselves in order to achieve self-sufficiency in many points within our history. 

I feel hopeful moving forward that even if a public educational space is under attack, we will start to create those liberating spaces in solidarity like we鈥檝e done throughout history in order to rebuild those institutions and infrastructures that were either destabilized or lost through integration. 

Considering all of those variables, there is very little pessimism within me around the things that have taken place and very little fear because, as Kendrick Lamar , 鈥渨e gon鈥� be alright.鈥�

鈥極n Juneteenth鈥�

Combining history and memoir, Annette Gordon-Reed鈥檚 鈥溾�� offers a moving history of African American life and culture through the prism of Juneteenth. The award-winning presents an intimate portrait of the experiences of her family and her memories of life as an African American girl growing up in segregated Texas. The essays in her book invite readers to enter a world shaped by the forces of freedom and slavery.

Reed鈥檚 exploration of the history and legacy of Juneteenth is a poignant reminder of the hard history all Americans face.

鈥極 Freedom! Afro-American Emancipation Celebrations鈥�

William H. Wiggins Jr.鈥檚 鈥溾�� is the historical standard for African American emancipation celebrations. It offers an accessible and well-researched account of the emergence and evolution of Juneteenth.

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Wiggins brings together oral history with archival research to share the stories of how African Americans celebrated emancipation. It explains how Juneteenth is part of the tapestry of emancipation celebrations. These celebrations included such dates as , in North Carolina, , in Richmond, Virginia, and , in Washington, D.C.

What began as a local holiday has evolved into a national celebration.

Juneteenth celebrations are known for the variety of programs and events that highlight African American history and culture. In the 1960s, students at Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, informed faculty that classes would not be held on Juneteenth. In Milwaukee, the local Juneteenth parade includes a group known as the riding their horses along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Juneteenth celebrations also feature cultural fairs and exhibitions, artistic performances and historical reenactments. Lectures and public conversations, community feasts and religious services are also part of the celebrations.

鈥楯耻苍别迟别别苍迟丑鈥�

Ralph Ellison, perhaps best known for his novel 鈥淚nvisible Man,鈥� offers multiple meanings of Juneteenth in African American and American life in his posthumously published novel 鈥�.鈥�

The ambivalence of Juneteenth is of a freedom delayed but not denied. Ellison鈥檚 spiraling novel captures this in the entangled and tragic lives of the racist Senator Sunraider 鈥� previously known as Bliss 鈥� and the minister who raised him, the Reverend A. Z. Hickman. For Ellison, Juneteenth represents more than just a celebration of emancipation. It also represents the shared fate of white Americans and African Americans in the quest to create a just and equal society. The promise and peril of Juneteenth is elegantly captured in Hickman鈥檚 words, 鈥淭here鈥檚 been a heap of Juneteenths before this one and I tell you there鈥檒l be a heap more before we鈥檙e truly free!鈥�

鈥楩estivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915鈥�

Mitch Kachun鈥檚 book, 鈥淔estivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915,鈥� of emancipation celebrations and their influence on African American identity and community. Juneteenth joined a longer tradition of emancipation celebrations. Those celebrations included ones at the end of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the United States on Jan. 1, 1808. They also included the that marked the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire on Aug. 1, 1834.

With an eye for historical detail, Kachun narrates a complex history of how Juneteenth and other freedom festivals shaped African American identity and political culture. The celebrations also displayed competing meanings of African American identity. In Washington, D.C. in the late 19th century, different groups of African Americans held distinct celebrations. These variations underscored tensions around political ideals, status and identity. Kachun鈥檚 book reminds us that Juneteenth served as a crucible for forging a collective and contested sense of African American community.

鈥楻ites of August First: Emancipation Day in the Black Atlantic World鈥�

Similar to Kachun鈥檚 book, Jeffrey R. Kerr-Ritchie鈥檚 鈥溾�� reminds readers of a broader history and geography of emancipation celebrations.

Kerr-Ritchie focuses on how various African American communities adopted and adapted West India Day celebrations. He also explores how they created meaning and culture in celebrating the abolition of slavery in the British West Indies. Kerr-Ritchie鈥檚 book details how these celebrations moved across political borders and boundaries.

鈥楯uneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration鈥�

Contemporary invocations of Juneteenth often overlook its military history.

Edward T. Cotham, Jr.鈥檚 鈥溾�� fills the void by exploring the Civil War origins of Juneteenth.

Cotham renders explicit the military context leading up to the events on June 19, 1865, in Galveston. This is when enslaved Black people there finally got word that they had been freed more than two years prior. Cotham reminds readers that the history of Juneteenth involves ordinary actions of many individual people whose names may not be widely known.

Collectively, these books about Juneteenth offer fresh perspectives on the history and culture of African Americans on a quest to fully express their freedom. Juneteenth is also an invitation for all Americans to continue to learn about and strive for freedom for all people.

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

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Texas 8th-grader Ernest Toledo said he’s learned and relearned Texas history throughout elementary and middle school, yet has never been taught a word about Juneteenth, an event in the Lone Star State many consider the first independence day for Black Americans.

“We should talk about it,” Toledo said.

After the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd sparked massive racial justice protests last year, state and city governments 鈥� and many private companies 鈥� rushed to recognize June 19 as a holiday for the first time. While the , on the eve of Juneteenth a year later, many students, educators and parents are still .

Today, 48 states and D.C. recognize the date formally as a day of remembrance or a holiday, and this week, President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth after both  both the and approved the measure in a rare show of bipartisanship. Of the nation鈥檚 10 largest public school districts, nine do not recognize Juneteenth in their calendars, although their school year ends for students in May or early June. New York City will formally close schools for Junteenth beginning in 2022, and Chicago Public Schools may follow suit  to recognize it as a state holiday.

Given its omission from most history lessons, Juneteenth celebrations in recent years mark the first time many Americans learned about that date in 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed of their emancipation. Their liberation came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the end of the Civil War. 2021 will be the first year 156 years later, although it鈥檚 been a proud tradition of that city for generations.

Former U.S. education secretary John King, in Maryland, put the growing awareness of Juneteenth into the larger context 鈥� and increasingly fraught 鈥� of teaching in greater depth about America’s racist past.

鈥淲e have a responsibility to struggle for an America that is more true to the promise of equality of opportunity, and a critical part of that struggle is ensuring that we tell the full story of our history in our social studies curriculum,鈥� King told 蜜桃影视.

Juneteenth in the classroom

Mar铆a Rocha grew up about 250 miles west of Galveston and now teaches sixth-graders at Mark Twain Dual Language Academy in her home district, San Antonio Independent School District. She excitedly shares details of this year鈥檚 Juneteenth musical celebration in town and excerpts from her own spoken word piece on the need to change history textbooks, though she can鈥檛 recall a time she or her colleagues included the day as a part of their social studies instruction.

When asked what elements of culturally significant history she incorporates in her classroom, she shares that she sticks to what鈥檚 outlined in Texas state social studies curricula.

鈥淚 want to be that teacher that has no limits to what she can say, but you know, unfortunately, our jobs are on the line with what we say and do,鈥� she said.

Rocha鈥檚 concerns echo those of many educators facing legislation that can restrict their ability to touch on race-related content in the classroom. are in the midst of passing such legislation, aimed at curbing antiracism training and critical race theory in schools. Just signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, also prohibits students from receiving course credit for political activism, or work with policy advocacy organizations on any issue (even, for example, service learning). if teachers link historical events to institutional racism.

Without state or district-provided support, some educators have taken it upon themselves to make Juneteenth a part of their Civil War units. For years, artist and social studies teacher Diane Isaac has begun her Juneteenth lessons at Curtis High School on Staten Island with a gallery-walk of primary source documents, images, and first-person accounts from the 1860s. She leaves materials on the walls all week, and invites her 11th-graders to go back and respond to other students鈥� reactions. On the first day of their Juneteenth lesson, students come together for a conversation about Frederick Douglass鈥檚 1852 speech 鈥�.

鈥淚 think it frames the Juneteenth celebration, because he’s pointing out that for African Americans, this concept of freedom and this jubilation, this celebration of American independence, did not apply to them,鈥� Isaac said.

For Isaac, incorporating Juneteenth in her Civil War unit was never a question of why. It was a question of how she could make it a part of a bigger conversation in her school and .

鈥淚’ve had conversations with many of my colleagues who say, the Civil War, we鈥檒l teach that in maybe one or two lessons; Reconstruction, one lesson; slavery, maybe two or three lessons,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n all of a week to a week and a half, the lived experience of African Americans is flown by. It’s narrowed down to a PowerPoint presentation, which may include some primary source documents, but there’s no real depth and I felt that I needed to provide that depth.鈥�

Six years ago, Isaac shifted to teaching U.S. history to upper high school students. She decided then that she wanted to focus on 鈥渢he histories of Black and brown people, the histories that were not highlighted鈥�. Teaching Juneteenth, for her, is just one example of that practice in action.

A former social studies teacher himself, John King says Juneteenth is one chapter in a much greater story about the oppression and triumphs of Black Americans and other historically excluded racial groups. King, who is now running for governor in Maryland, said he regularly incorporated Juneteenth as a part of his Civil War and Reconstruction teachings.

鈥淲e should be advocating for inclusion of the study of the institution of slavery, resistance to Reconstruction, emergence of Ku Klux Klan and Jim Crow, history of Japanese-American internment 鈥� we have to include all of those things, because that is the truth of the story. We also, at the same time, should be telling the story of the first Black elected officials during Reconstruction, and we should be telling the story about African Americans鈥� resistance throughout,鈥� King said.

Even some smaller, predominantly white districts are in pursuit of a similar, intentional approach to acknowledging Juneteenth. Administrators from western Massachusetts to upstate New York now mark it as a school holiday and provide resources for educators looking to revamp their curricula.

Chicopee Public Schools will recognize Juneteenth as a district holiday beginning in 2022. District leaders have given out resources to , , and high school teachers to support their new lessons on Juneteenth this year.

鈥淲e’re trying to be a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive school district. This is not just a holiday for Black people. This is a part of American history,鈥� said Alvin Morton, assistant superintendent for student support services in the roughly 6,800-student Massachusetts district.

In Rhinebeck, a town of about 7,500 nestled in New York鈥檚 Hudson Valley, schools will close on June 18 in honor of the holiday. All week, Bulkeley Middle School is recognizing the significance of Juneteenth, starting with classroom lessons on its history. Seventh-grade social studies teacher Henry Frischknecht coordinated grade-wide art projects, with goals in mind to educate (6th grade), commemorate (7th grade), and celebrate (8th grade) Juneteenth.

Bulkeley students will come together on June 18 to display art and a 4鈥漻 8鈥� Juneteenth flag 鈥� clad with imagery and symbols from the life of several formerly enslaved people in Rhinebeck 鈥攁t Town Hall. Seventh-grader Amaia Hayes is painting a night scene of her town, with trails and houses depicting the Underground Railroad鈥檚 path. She first learned about Juneteenth鈥檚 specific history in her classroom. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important that we have it off, to think about our history,鈥� she said. Slavery wasn鈥檛 just a part of other towns鈥� histories, 鈥渋t was Rhinebeck too, it was part of our community.鈥�

Following the public installation, student art will be displayed year-round at 16 partnering businesses.

From racial reckoning to 鈥榗orrecting harm鈥�

While these teacher-driven efforts to honor Juneteenth suggest a budding and real commitment to imparting a history that includes Black Americans, others urge for sustained, structural change in schools and communities.

鈥淥ne of the key questions about Juneteenth is if it’s just performative 鈥� just a moment, and not a serious district-wide effort to advance racial equity 鈥� then to me it’s grossly inadequate to the moment,鈥� King said.

Educators and advocates say the historical implications of Juneteenth warrant us to . Krystal Hardy Allen, a former Louisiana elementary school teacher, doctoral student, and CEO of K. Allen Consulting, coaches educators and administrators in reframing their practices to be more inclusive. She notes that teachers may not have preparation time, historical context, or pedagogical frameworks readily available to teach about Juneteenth or the legacy of slavery. While districts grapple with how to teach about Juneteenth and move to recognize it as a holiday, she said, they also need to be mindful of treating their Black staff in equitable, inclusive, and respectful ways.

鈥淚t is a near slap in the face to give people a day off to commemorate a holiday 鈥� calling it Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Juneteenth, etc. 鈥� but behind closed doors, foster an environment that is not psychologically, emotionally, and physically safe for them,鈥� Allen said.

Outside of the classroom, Juneteenth has been an opportunity for community education, celebration, and broader political action. Organizers in , New Jersey, , Illinois, and , Minnesota are utilizingJuneteenth events to push for reparations and policy change to counteract centuries of systemic racism 鈥� and for the legacy of slavery, at the very least, to be examined more thoroughly.

The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice has co-hosted Juneteenth events for years. Organizers say 2021鈥檚 will be its first explicitly advocating for reparations, specifically, to create a state reparations task force 鈥渢o look at New Jersey’s very particular history when it comes to these things, and come up with sweeping policy recommendations that address our particular brand of structural racism,鈥� said Laurie Beacham, the Institute鈥檚 director of communications.

Newark residents and reparations supporters say there鈥檚 never been a better moment to act, given widespread dialogue on racial inequality. In 1989, federal legislation for a commission to study the history of slavery and reparations died in committee. Now three decades later, it鈥檚 been in the House with more than 180 Democratic co-sponsors.

Congressional Black Caucus members are pushing , in the wake of the 100-year anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Even if moderates join the tide and it passes the House, there is slim chance of it winning approval in the Senate, where Republicans are concerned that a reparations commission could lead to unprecedented cash restitution.

This national momentum to examine the negative impact of government and institutional policies on Black families is also taking place at the same time that GOP-led states pass laws to restrict teachers from having the very conversations that link Jim Crow laws to systemic racism and the concept of reparations.

鈥淚t’s nice to have a day off, but it’s better to have a policy that reflects the importance of why we have the day off,鈥� Natasha Capers, a New York City public school parent and director of NYC鈥檚 Coalition for Educational Justice, said. CEJ advocates for culturally responsive education, the policy aim of their annual Juneteenth event. 鈥淲hen we talk about reparations it’s about correcting harm. It’s not about individual wealth, it’s how do we pour this back into schools, how do we pour this back into infrastructure, how do we pour this back into land ownership?鈥�

For supporters, correcting harm is at the heart of calls for reparations. Capers notes that Black, Indigenous, and Asian families did not see generational wealth because, for centuries, white families profited from their exploitation. Holding this fact in tandem with what happened on Juneteenth helps explain why the date finds itself perpetually a cause for celebration and political action 鈥� it marked the end of one form of exploitation (slavery), yet the start of another (Jim Crow).

Young people across the country are working to understand what comes after reckoning, celebrating Junteenth and positioning it in a larger political moment through or Samiyah Webster, a high school junior in Newark, seeks out opportunities on her own to learn, participate and share outside of the classroom, noting the opportunity to do so in-school is inconsistent. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to be aware of the history aside from the stuff that they teach you in school鈥�, she said.

She鈥檒l be attending the Institute for Social Justice鈥檚 Juneteenth rally for reparations, and hopes that people become more aware of what reparations mean and that Newark practices them. 鈥淚t is basically making amends for things that someone did wrong.鈥�