Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. As we celebrate this historic milestone, we also recognize the ongoing work of justice, liberation, and collective flourishing.
Stories have long been a source of strength, memory, and resistance. By passing them from one generation to the next, we preserve truth, honor those who came before us, and equip ourselves to build a more just future. This Juneteenth, we invite you to explore a selection of books that reflect on Black history, spirituality, resilience, and hope…voices that remind us that collective memory is a form of collective power.
PSR’s Juneteenth Recommended Reading List
- Annette Gordon-Reed, On Juneteenth
- Opal Lee, A Committee of One: How Faith + Action = A PurposeFULL Life
- James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
- Saidiya Hartman, Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth Century America
- Christina Sharpe, In the Wake: On Blackness & Being
- Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Abolition Geography: Essays Towards Liberation
- Nikole Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
- Jaqueline Woodson, Brown Girl Dreaming
- Mitch Kachun, Festivals of Freedom: Memory and Meaning in African American Emancipation Celebrations, 1808-1915
- Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America
- Kevin Young, African American Poetry 250 Years of Struggle & Song
- Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow
This reading list has been thoughtfully curated by Pacific School of Religion staff and faculty.