Monday will be the second time Juneteenth is a federal holiday. The day honors the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans, but some people are still figuring out how to best mark the holiday. John Yang spoke with two organizers about Juneteenth’s meaning. - Jun 19, 2022
In a Juneteenth special, we mark the federal holiday that commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. We speak to the writer and poet Clint Smith about Juneteenth and his new book, "How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America." "When I think of Juneteenth, part of what I think about is the both-handedness of it," Smith says, "that it is this moment in which we mourn the fact that freedom was kept from hundreds of thousands of enslaved people for years and for months after it had been attained by them, and then, at the same time, celebrating the end of one of the most egregious things that this country has ever done." Smith says he recognizes the federal holiday marking Juneteenth as a symbol, "but it is clearly not enough."
Juneteenth 1865 - 2024: A Legacy of Song is a 2024 documentary special by KHOU 11 that explores the role of music in the history of Juneteenth and Black culture. - UHD Network - Jun 27, 2024
In "Juneteenth 1865-2024: A Legacy of Song," we show that music is the tie that binds and the language that has flowed through and across cultures since the beginning of time. Many would argue the rhythm, rhyme and the magic of a steady drum beat began in Africa. They’d also say the sounds of Africa influence every genre of music from folk and country to house, funk and rock. The heavy bass lines of hip-hop and the slashing of a heavy metal guitar are all influenced by African culture. To truly understand the breadth of the impact of Africa on American music, in this fourth installment of this award-winning KHOU 11 documentary series, we have to take it back to the Mother Land. - KHOU 11. June 18, 2024.