Tomorrow, Tukwila joins communities around the country to celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday held on June 19th to commemorate the day when news of emancipation from slavery reached Texas, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln.
On Monday night, the City Council adopted Resolution 1992, declaring that Juneteenth will be recognized every year in Tukwila as a celebration of emancipation and an opportunity to honor the African Americans in our community through continued learning and understanding of the impacts of slavery. “This resolution is the first step, but we are committed to further work to promote learning about this important celebration – we must be good stewards of this history,” said Council President De’Sean Quinn.
Here are a few resources to learn more about Juneteenth:
- King County Public Library’s Juneteenth Reading List
- Juneteenth Jamboree on PBS, with videos exploring the history & entertainment of Juneteenth celebrations
- National Museum of African American History & Culture tour of its Slavery and Freedom Exhibit with Founding Director Lonnie Bunch III
- The Northwest African American Museum joins six other Black museums to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth. Juneteenth 2020: Justice, Freedom, Democracy will debut on Friday, June 19th at 9:00 a.m.