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A Juneteenth Celebration: Picturing America’s African Americans from Slaves to Voting Citizens

Beverly Free Library, Beverly, NJ

Project Director: Helen Henry

Target Audience: Adult, Children, Teens, Family

Library Size: Under 25,000

Quote

“Libraries can adapt this basic program structure to their preferred choice of selections from the collection and present their own local history around any one of the Picturing America themes of Freedom and Equality, Leadership, Democracy, Courage, Landscapes, and Creativity and Ingenuity.”

Program Summary

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated African American holiday in the United States and commemorates the ending of slavery in this country. Using lectures by an historian and an art teacher, presentations of music, poetry and prose, the Beverly Free Library (BFL) chronicled the historic journey of African Americans as they moved from slavery, through the Civil War, Emancipation, Juneteenth Freedom, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the Great Migration, and the Harlem Renaissance, to the Civil Rights era, when they fought to become voting citizens. Children were engaged in craft projects that reflected the theme of each program. An art contest, “Picturing YOUR America,” was also announced during Picturing America programming, soliciting submissions that were inspired by the featured Picturing America selections and depicted how the artist viewed the themes of Freedom and Equality.

Use of the Artwork

Several Picturing America images were used in collaboration with lectures and other programs to present and celebrate local and national African American history, including: The Veteran in a New Field, Quilts of the 19th and 20th Centuries, The Migration of the Negro Panel no. 57, The Dove, Ladder for Booker T. Washington, Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial, and Selma-to-Montgomery March for Voting Rights in 1965.

Programs and Ideas

The BFL presented a one day community conference to celebrate Juneteenth, through a celebration of music, poetry, prose, and art. Highlights include:

Lecture: A keynote speaker presented a lecture on the rich historical significance of Burlington County, called the “Cradle of Emancipation,” its role in the Underground Railroad, the role of Delaware Valley Quakers in the abolition movement, and the unique history of Burlington County freedmen.

Reading and lecture: Excerpts from the Emancipation Proclamation, General Order No. 3 and the Thirteenth Amendment were read, followed by a brief overview of African American history from Emancipation, through Reconstruction, the great Migration, the establishment of Tuskegee Institute by Booker T. Washington, Jim Crow, Harlem Renaissance, to the Civil Rights Era.

Poetry presentation: Featuring works from Paul Lawrence Dunbar, whose father served in the Civil War, Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes

Reading and art discussion: Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and the Selma march to Montgomery were highlighted.

Lecture: Sojourner Truth’s most notable speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” delivered in 1851, was presented and juxtaposed with Voting Rights Activist Fannie Lou Hamer’s question, “Is this America?” submitted to the 1964 Democratic National Convention.

Music: African American History, as reflected through Negro Spirituals, Gospel Songs, and Civil Rights Freedom songs were interspersed throughout the program.

Resources

• African American History in Burlington County, NJ
• The Emancipation Proclamation
• Juneteenth and General Order No. 3
• The Thirteenth Amendment
• Paul Lawrence Dunbar information and digital collection
• Maya Angelou
• Langston Hughes
• “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “Ain’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth
• Fannie Lou Hamer
• A History of African American Music

Impact

Most important is the renewed partnership between the Beverly Free Library and the Beverly City School the Picturing America collection and programming opportunities offer our community. Last year, our library had to close temporarily, due to budgetary constraints. The support services that our library had provided to the school were also suspended. Through the hard work and reorganization of the Library by the Board of Trustees, the Library has reopened. This program represented our first major reconnection to the school. The significance to our community of reestablishing this relationship is evidenced by the attendance of the Mayor, City Council members, School Board President, local Historical Society, and members of the community.

We hope to continue to provide programs and maintain and expand our collaborative relationship with the school, the city, and its residents. Our lecturers presented a wealth of information and the content of the program was appreciated by all who attended. We received many positive compliments on the event. One administrator from the school asked if we could return and present the material as an assembly for Black History Month. The Superintendent wrote a letter thanking us for presenting the program to the community and lending her support to future collaborative efforts between the school and the library. The Board of Trustees is confident that having this collection available in our Library will prove to be a major asset to our community.