#Iobserve review how to#

“They go into a little bit of detail about what happened after freedom came, because you can’t just look at just that one moment in time.”Įlliott also recommends examining historic speeches and writings by activists like Frederick Douglass, and prolific writers during the abolition movement. “There’s some great documentaries on Reconstruction, on slavery, on the Civil War,” she said, adding that viewers should also explore events that occurred after those periods, too, such as the Tulsa Race Massacre. and Malcolm X.Įlliott, the curator at the African American Museum, said documentaries can offer a lens into specific events and eras of the Black experience.

In particular, he recommends “I Am Not Your Negro,” a 2016 documentary based on Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript “Remember This House,” which examines race relations in America based on Baldwin’s personal recollections of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, the Rev. “I think James is probably one of the most prolific people you can listen to along those lines,” Robinson said. “It’s a time to stop and think about the history, your own history or the history of a friend.”Īmong his recommendations for seeking out this history is the work of James Baldwin, an activist and acclaimed writer who wrote about racial injustice in America. “It’s just like Veterans Day and Memorial Day,” he said. “Learn what Juneteenth is all about – that’s where you start,” said Cliff Robinson, who created the website about 25 years ago to offer information about national events. Explore selected readings and documentaries “Local history museums are extremely important because it makes the history more personal,” she said, because “one thing we have learned with this history is it’s very nuanced.”įor those who can’t visit a museum in person this year, a handful of Black museums and historical institutions from across the country will participate in a virtual program by to commemorate Juneteenth. She also emphasizes the importance of local museums, which can help visitors establish an understanding of the history in their own community. So it allows you to look back and look forward.” We also take it to segregation and leading up to today. For instance, Elliot said, “the Slavery and Freedom exhibition is really great because we go through that whole history from the beginning of slavery through Reconstruction. Mary Elliott, curator of American Slavery at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, emphasizes the educational value of museum experiences. We asked activists and organizers to share different ways Americans can honor Juneteenth. “It’s a national holiday, an American holiday that we all should lean in and really acknowledge and support.” “It’s not just a Black holiday,” said Alicia Austion, executive director of the Juneteenth Foundation.

#Iobserve review how to#

While millions of Black Americans like Lee have long marked the day commemorating their freedom, other people in the United States still grapple with how to meaningfully observe the newest national holiday.īut activists say this recognition is important for everyone. Last year, Lee’s efforts finally succeeded when President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. On that day, Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Since 2016, Lee has trekked the country in those laced-up sneakers to push for national recognition of Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865. More widely across the country, Lee is also regarded as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”īut as she once humbly put it: “I’m just an old lady in tennis shoes getting in everybody’s business.” In her town of Fort Worth, she runs a 13-acre urban farm and advocates for causes such as homelessness, education and health care. Opal Lee, 95, is a retired educator, children’s book author and lifelong humanitarian.