Juneteeth Resources

June 19th, or "Juneteenth," is the largest celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. However, it is not nearly as well known or widely celebrated as other holidays. If you would like to  learn more about the history of the holiday, and about African American history in general, the Terrebonne Parish Library has a plethora of free resources available at your fingertips, 24/7.

A great place to begin is with the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL). To access GVRL from our website, select "Research" then "Databases by Name" and scroll down to the "G's." Withing GVRL, you will find titles such as the American Civil War Reference Library, a collection featuring five volumes of Civil War history. 

Also in GVRL, The Encyclopedia of Food and Culture has a fantastic article on African American food traditions that features a sidebar on Juneteenth, explaining its cultural significance in the African American community:

Works such as The Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, and Gale Encyclopedia of Multi-Cultural America, all available in full online through Gale Virtual Reference Library, feature significant information on African American culture, history, and traditions from various sources. 

Gale Virtual Reference Library is available for free, 24/7, to anyone with an active Terrebonne Parish Library Card. No check outs are required; simply log on from MyTPL.org and enjoy unlimited access to these titles and dozens more.