Bringing the Often-Overlooked Heroes of Juneteenth Into the Classroom

Looking for ways to inspire your students to continue engaging with inclusive history this summer break? Encourage them to learn about Juneteenth! Challenge your students to learn a bit about the history of the holiday, attend Juneteenth celebrations and gain new insights through unique historical programs and activities, like those hosted by the Ohio History Connection.

Also known as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, Juneteenth is celebrated each year on June 19^th to commemorate the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation and subsequent end of slavery reached enslaved people in Galveston, Texas almost two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

The origins of Juneteenth are often attributed to the actions of Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who wrote and brought General Order No. 3 to Galveston, which unequivocally announced the “absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.” And though his role was important as the leader of some 2000 troops who came to enforce freedom, it is paramount that we also teach our students about the oft-overlooked contributions of the many Black soldiers in United States Colored Troops (USCT) regiments under Granger’s command. Troops, including USCT regiments, were the ones who actually carried the message to the people of Galveston, spreading this good news in the former Confederate stronghold of Texas.

Not only did Black troops play a crucial role in bringing and enforcing the message of freedom on that June day in 1865, but their contributions and sacrifices in the Civil War shaped the course of history. [1]As our students learn about Juneteenth, we have the opportunity to teach them to recognize the contributions of countless Black Americans in shaping our history as a nation.

Discussion Prompts & Activities

• Discuss: Encourage your students to consider how the first 89 years of July 4^th celebrations in the United States centered on freedom while so many Black people were still enslaved. How might Independence Day have been viewed by enslaved people? Research primary sources that give insight into this question (one excellent place to start is Frederick Douglass’s speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”). How might July 4^th have been and continue to be viewed today by descendants of those enslaved people?
• Read: Check out some of the great titles recommended by the National Museum of African American History and Culture here. Whether your students engage with these books as a class during a read aloud, in small group assignments or as a summer reading project, students are sure to unlock a deeper understanding of Juneteenth.
• Give students a summer field trip assignment: provide students with a list of local celebrations of Juneteenth happening this year.
  • Central Ohio:
    • June 15^th Juneteenth on the Ave
    • June 16^th Juneteenth Jubilee Day Festival
    • June 15th Juneteenth Parade and Festival in Mansfield
  • Southwest Ohio:
    • June 15^th 37th Annual Juneteenth Festival in Eden Park
    • June 16^th Cincinnati Official Juneteenth Parade
    • June 19^th National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Juneteenth Jubilee
  • Southeast Ohio:
    • June 22nd Juneteenth Celebration in Athens
  • Northeast Ohio:
    • June 14-15th Freedom Fest in Cleveland
    • June 15th 26th Annual Akron Juneteenth Festival
    • June 22nd-23rd Youngstown Juneteenth Festival
  • Northwest Ohio
    • June 13-19^th Juneteenth Toledo Celebration
    • June 19^th Juneteenth at the Black Heritage & Multicultural Center

Resources

• Frederick Douglass’s speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”; read by James Earl Jones here.
• Juneteenth: This great website from the National Museum of African American History & Culture on Juneteenth includes including an excellent Digital Toolkit, a guide for early childhood education on Juneteenth, history on the holiday, reading lists and more.
• “In Their Own Words: Civil War Soldier’s Experience” lesson plan from the National Museum of the United States Army features several participant’s firsthand accounts of the Civil War, including that of a formerly enslaved man.

[1] For more information about the contributions of Black soldiers in the Civil War, be sure to check out the article “United States Colored Troops in the American Civil War,” published by the National Museum of the United States Army.

Blog image citation: 127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 5th United States Colored Troops photograph. Photograph. Delaware, Ohio: 1863. Ohio Memory,
127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry - 5th United States Colored Troops. https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p16007coll98/id/142/rec/1 (June 3, 2024).