By Emma Robinson ’27, Visual Studies
What Is Juneteenth?
Before July comes into full swing with booming plans to celebrate the founding of our country, it is important that we still celebrate a group of people crucial to its success in June.
During the Civil War, news traveled slowly. And in 1865, more than two years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was issued, millions of enslaved Black Americans were still forced to work in Confederate parts of the United States, where the outcome of the war wasn’t yet known or wasn’t properly enforced.
But on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in rural Texas to enforce the Thirteenth Amendment, emancipating more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state, and marking a boom in hope and change in Black communities across the country.
Juneteenth has been celebrated by its community for generations and was designated a federal holiday in 2021. We have compiled a short list of ways to celebrate and learn more if you’re in the area.
Local Events
Communities across Sarasota are coming together to honor Juneteenth through a week of celebrations, conversations, and commencements.
Seven years strong, Newtown Juneteenth Street Fest hosts a week-long bonanza planned to “celebrate freedom, honor history, and build community,” which is free to anyone and everyone ready to learn. They start with a Neighborhood Street Fest and Soulfood Sunday on June 13 and June 14, respectively, followed by a Resource fair, Empowerment day, Seafood festival, and Caribbean street fest before ending with their Juneteenth Freedom Fest on June 19.
The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) is hosting a Juneteenth Arts Festival from June 19-20, which promises “immersive art, live performance, music, and culinary treats” from Sarasota favorites such as artist Osa Atoe and restaurants like G’s Southern Kitchen. Round-the-clock performances by WBTT and its students are guaranteed to entertain and educate, culminating in a final performance of Brian L. Boyd’s ENIGMA, which closes the festival in Donnelly Theater. Attendance is also free, but registration is encouraged.
And debuting their new theme, Family Reunion, the 2026 Manatee Juneteenth Community Festival on June 20 celebrates the resilience of the formerly enslaved reconnecting with their separated families, a time to gather and celebrate heritage.
Go and see art!
Sarasota Art Museum’s current show, Something Borrowed, Something New, features a selection of private, diverse collections from across Southwest Florida, including Kara Walker, who intertwines the relationship between race, slavery, gender, and sexuality with haunting, surreal imagery and the Victorian silhouette tradition; Jacob Lawrence who depicted Black life and history through his illustrations, drawing on memories of his church life, Black culture, and his childhood in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance; Derick Adams, who depicts a full picture of Black joy by painting their lives in times of leisure, celebration, and other moments of humanity that are often overlooked by mainstream media; and Hank Willis Thomas, whose work explores themes of identity, mass media, and popular culture; plus many more.
Resources
For those who are still curious, the Alfred R. Goldstein Library and Ringling Center for Student Success have an expansive, curated list that further explores the history, struggles, and overall pride to commemorate the holiday.
In addition to educational resources, this webpage offers a look at the wide array of books on display at the library, including poetry, children’s books (Brown Girl Dreaming is the author’s personal recommendation), and history, as well as a guide to antiracism resources. These are all available for checkout to local students, as are the ebooks, which can be checked out by any student, regardless of location.
You can also explore small works in the Brizdle-Schoenberg Special Collections by African-American artists of the 21st century.
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