Juneteenth: Fiction & Non-Fiction

Ann Rinaldi vividly portrays how a family in Texas does not honestly deal with the fact that slavery has come to an end, and how this will affect the lives of two young women raised as sisters.

This book provides a concise history about Juneteenth, specifically why it was necessary to issue General Order No. 3, on June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The authors include information about slavery, southern secession, the Civil War, the emancipation movement, the significance of Juneteenth, and various types of Juneteenth celebrations.

Juneteenth is a federal holiday that celebrates the freedom of enslaved peoples at the end of the Civil War. The collection of essays are primarily based on historical research written by Annette Gordon-Reed (historian, lawyer, law professor, multi-award-winning writer, and native-born Texan). However, these essays thoughtfully weave together personal remembrances and history because Gordon-Reed is a native Texan and Black woman, whose family has roots going back to the 1820s and 1860s.

Photographic historian Deborah Willis and historian of slavery Barbara Krauthamer worked on this book that has over 140 photographs from the antebellum days of the 1850s through the New Deal era of the 1930s. Among the photographs, some never before published, are Juneteenth celebrations and slave reunions.

"Texas' pasts are examined in this groundbreaking volume, featuring chapters by a wide range of scholars."  Memory and history face off in this book, especially about the history of 19th century Texas. The chapter "Juneteenth: Emancipation and Memory" is by Elizabeth Hayes Turner, historian and scholar, and includes over 70 notes that reference books, newspaper articles and legal citations.

This is the revised version of an earlier book, with additional new content; new photos of pitmasters; references to the historic BBQ Summer Camp and Camp Brisket at the University of Texas photos of new restaurants. Of special note is a chapter, "Celebrating Juneteenth. The Legacy of East Texas," which has historic photographs, recipes and stories.

A unique book that is the first cookbook devoted entirely to Juneteenth. It is lavishly illustrated with photographs, history, and marvelous recipes.

To date, this is the only biography of Opal Lee, frequently described as "the grandmother of Juneteenth." Beautifully illustrated with full-page color illustrations, the book has a Juneteenth Timeline, and a notable list of "Sources" about Juneteenth that cite newspaper and journal articles, as well as websites.

Juneteenth: a novel is the title of Ralph Ellison’s second novel that was incomplete when he died. The novel is not directly about the infamous day of Juneteenth, one among many pivotal days in African American history. True artist that he was, Ellison’s choice of the title and the novel’s brilliant plot reveal the consequences pf slavery. There are implicit themes in the novel that propel the actions of the main characters, and those are racial purity and superiority. The unknown racial origins of these characters and how they behave are evidence that the origins (racial, ethnic, religious, or other factors) of anyone should not be used to stereotype or treat an individual or a group unfairly.