L2L Juneteenth

Juneteenth

Selections of Poetry and Prose

In 2021, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed into law, making the commemoration of June 19, 1865, a federally recognized holiday. According to The Fortune Society, it “marks the day the last enslaved people learned of their freedom in Texas and has evolved into a day to honor Black history and culture, while also acknowledging how much progress is left to achieve.” “Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments,” President Joe Biden said at the bill’s signing. “[T]hey embrace them. Great nations don’t walk away, they come to terms with the mistakes they’ve made. In remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.” This week, Leigh, P. T., and Dr. C read and examine poetry and prose by Black authors whose words and insights continue to enlighten American history:

• “Bury Me in a Free Land,” Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
  
• “Freedom,” Langston Hughes
• “Caged Bird,” Maya Angelou
• “won’t you celebrate with me,” Lucille Clifton
• “In This Place (An American Lyric),” Amanda Gorman
• “How It Feels To Be Colored Me,” Zora Neale Hurston