What might it have been like, as a young Black girl in the south, to hear the news that slavery had been abolished? To hear that people you lived with and loved were no longer working for a master who did not honor you with pay for a hard day’s work or the simple dignity of choosing your own name or occupation? Author Angela Johnson captures beautifully the dawning understanding of a community of enslaved workers in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, when word is finally delivered that two years earlier the Emancipation Proclamation stated that enslaved persons shall be ”forever free.” The abolition of slavery was one of the outcomes of the Civil War, but the reality of abolition spread slowly in places where economic and societal structures depended on enslavement. Word of freedom came late to Texas, but it did come.
In All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom, early breakfast in the quarters and preparation for laboring in the cotton fields start the day. Slowly, as word of an announcement spreads from the port through the town to the countryside and the fields, grownups whisper; curious, hopeful faces change expression as the news is shared. People leave the fields to gather and picnic on the shore; the quiet yet joyful celebration continues into the night. When the next day dawns, it feels different. It is different, even to a youngster who cannot ken exactly what this means for her future.
Readers learn in endnotes that author Angela Johnson came to know her great grandparents’ history as slaves gradually. She began to wonder exactly what the moment of freedom felt like to them. When illustrator E. B. Lewis began exploring the history of this time, he perceived it as a combination of “surreal” and “awesome”—and his sensitive, evocative paintings convey that mix of emotions.
In All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom, early breakfast in the quarters and preparation for laboring in the cotton fields start the day. Slowly, as word of an announcement spreads from the port through the town to the countryside and the fields, grownups whisper; curious, hopeful faces change expression as the news is shared. People leave the fields to gather and picnic on the shore; the quiet yet joyful celebration continues into the night. When the next day dawns, it feels different. It is different, even to a youngster who cannot ken exactly what this means for her future.
Readers learn in endnotes that author Angela Johnson came to know her great grandparents’ history as slaves gradually. She began to wonder exactly what the moment of freedom felt like to them. When illustrator E. B. Lewis began exploring the history of this time, he perceived it as a combination of “surreal” and “awesome”—and his sensitive, evocative paintings convey that mix of emotions.
Appended are a timeline of important dates from the Emancipation Proclamation to the 13th Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, commentary on the celebration of Juneteenth throughout history, a glossary of terms, and online resources. Today, Juneteenth is recognized widely as “a day for celebrating African American freedom and achievement.” This picture book presents its beginnings with grace and dignity, providing a gateway to understanding and appreciation. Ages 6 and up. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014.
Readers may enjoy visiting https://juneteenth.com for additional information and news, including the establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday.
