Celebrating Juneteenth: Liberation Through Literacy
Juneteenth is a holiday that's dedicated to celebrating freedom. Although it was first observed in 1971, it was only made a national holiday in 2021 following the uprisings that occurred after the murder of George Floyd. African-American communities have been celebrating this holiday since 1866, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to declare the end of slavery. By then, the 13th amendment had already been ratified, and the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued. Even though the proclamation was read during a ceremony in Texas, slaves were still reluctant to implement it. Transitioning African-Americans experienced violence and threats as they tried to assert their rights. It was, according to Henry Louis Gates Jr., that African-Americans were able to transform June 19 into a holiday that's dedicated to celebrating freedom. This was one of the most inspiring efforts during the post-Civil War era.
Fast forward to 2023. "Happy Juneteenth" was already in the air as folks greeted each other, some wearing t-shirts celebrating the holiday or other markers of Black history, as the Black Studies: An Education for Me + You bookmobile pulled up to the corner of 125th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. People swarmed around outside to browse the books available for free and snag the swag from EEAPC. A line formed as folks walked up the stairs and into the bus, which offered an interactive preview of the Black Studies curriculum coming to New York City public schools this fall. A woman with a cane, unable to board the bus, stood a bit to the side holding a series of glossy pictures with explanations and QR codes that gave her access to what others saw inside.
Nina Simone S. stood on the edges of the crowd, beaming. As Associate Vice President of Education, Equity and Systems Change of the United Way of New York City, she had worked hard to bring this project to fruition. Simone emphasized how the bookmobile is meant to be representative and celebratory, educating students, parents and the community at large, because "literacy is freedom."
Community and generosity are the impressions that Alicia Rozier, sixteen going on seventeen, emphasized after experiencing the Black Studies bookmobile. Rozier spoke about how great it was to see community doing for community, and the importance, especially, of the opportunity to bring books home. Her own love for reading came from her grandmother, and she is determined to continue the tradition by reading to her sister.
Her grandmother, Barbara Ruple, beamed as she stood arm in arm with her daughter and granddaughter, Petria and Sacred. Barbara described how she had been president of the Parent-Teacher Association. Petria spoke about the struggles of ensuring an adequate education for her daughter, especially over the years of the pandemic. Sacred smiled as she looked over her new books. When asked about the coming of Black Studies to the New York City public school system, Barbara immediately answered, "It will do wonders." Why? "Because knowledge is power."
