What is this day: Juneteenth has been celebrated since June 19, 1865. It's a celebration of the emancipation of the slaves. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed January 1, 1863, some areas like Texas didn't get the news of the South's surrender for two and a half years. On this day in 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston Texas with 2,000 troops to announce, "all slaves are free."

The former slaves of Texas (who had just discovered they were free) broke into spontaneous celebration.

Singing, praying, rodeos and pig roasts are some of the traditional ways Juneteenth is celebrated.

Activity:

Celebrate Juneteenth with your family by making colorful African Textile prints.

As long ago as 5,000 B.C., textiles were part of African culture. The ancient Egyptians grew flax for making linen. African textiles are known for their colorful designs.

Source: chungj415
Source: Nadine Ginapé

Today you can make simple African-textile inspired art yourself!

1.Using the mechanical pencil, or something else with a small, sharp point, carve your design into a Styrofoam plate.

2.With a washable marker, color your design. You can do as many or as few colors as you wish.

3.Dampen your paper. We used a wet paper towel, but a spray bottle would work as well.

4.Lay the paper flat, then place the colored side of the plate on the paper. Firmly press the whole design with your thumb.

5.Pull your paper off.

6.Recolor and press to create alternate patterns.

You can read more about Juneteenth History here. And if you want to eat some of the traditional foods of Juneteenth celebrations, pull out some strawberry soda, spicy hot links and watermelon. Red foods are customary to represent a symbol of resilience in bondage. Read more about that here.

This day may also be a good time to talk about modern day slavery with your kids. Learn more about how to have age-appropriate conversations about this here.