Celebrating Juneteenth 2021

Each June we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States in 1865. Across the country, family and friends gather to celebrate and learn more about the history and experience of African Americans before and after slavery. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. South Carolina State Library staff members have put together a number of resources related to Juneteenth and racial equity.

• Black History Resources with links to books, online historical black newspapers, the SC African American calendar, Cecil Williams Civil Rights Museum, and more.
• Racial Equity Resources for Libraries with resources on how libraries can address equity in our organizations and communities, as well as anti-racism resources, recommended African-American fiction, and children’s books to support conversations on race, racism, and resistance.
• LibraryVoicesSC, the official podcast of the South Carolina State Library, has recorded various episodes relating to African American authors and subjects. Find more at the LibraryVoicesSC podcast page.
• Celebrate Juneteenth with Talking Books, which provides selected titles from the Talking Book Services library for the print impaired.
• Discus – South Carolina’s Virtual Library, provides access to CREDO Reference's article about Juneteenth from Freedom Facts and Firsts: 400 Years of the African American Civil Rights Experience.
• Knowitall.org’s Juneteenth Celebration includes a video about Rock Hill's Juneteenth celebration and monument dedication for the African American Business District. The monument was erected to commemorate an important part of the African American history in Rock Hill, S.C. “The monument will become a site for tourists to visit and will support Rock Hill’s recognition as a Cultural District,” says Dr. Gladys Robinson, chair of the African American Cultural Resource Committee. Story by Jacob Hallex for Palmetto Scene.