Juneteenth: A Celebration of Liberation

What is Juneteenth?

June 19th marks the end of slavery in the United States (or does it?). While it is a celebration of Black liberation, resilience and joy, we must also acknowledge that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery EXCEPT when behind bars.  That's right, slavery is still legal as a punishment for a crime. And while many are only now learning the meaning of Juneteenth and the harsh reality that slavery does still exist in the form of forced prison labor, we believe in honoring it with real knowledge and meaningful action.  Head to EndTheException.com to learn more, take action and donate.  In the meantime...

Join us in learning, celebrating and supporting Black History. What to read (and gift).

Understanding Juneteenth and its legacy.

ON JUNETEENTH - Annette Gordon-Reed

THE 1619 PROJECT - Nikole Hannah-Jones

ENVISIONING EMANCIPATION: BLACK AMERICANS AND THE END OF SLAVERY - Barbara Krauthamer and Deborah Willis

ESSENTIAL BLACK AMERICAN HISTORY.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS (Originally Published 1881) - Frederick Douglass

A BLACK WOMEN’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES - Daina Berry and Kali Gross

FOUR HUNDRED SOULS - Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blain

RECONSTRUCTION AND RESISTANCE.

STONY THE ROAD: RECONSTRUCTION, WHITE SUPREMACY, AND THE RISE OF JIM CROW - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America - Ibram X Kendi

MORE BEAUTIFUL AND MORE TERRIBLE: THE EMBRACE AND TRANSCENDENCE OF RACIAL INEQUALITY IN THE UNITED STATES - Imani Perry

REFLECTIONS AND MEMOIRS.

TEARS WE CANNOT STOP: A Sermon to White America - Michael Eric Dyson

WE WERE EIGHT YEARS IN POWER: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY - Ta - Nehisi Coates

DEMOCRACY IN BLACK: How race still enslaves the american soul - Eddie S Glaude jr 

MY VANISHING COUNTRY - Bakari Sellers

HAVE BLACK LIVES EVER MATTERED? - Mumia Abu-Jamal

FOR YOUNGER READERS.

JUNETEENTH IS - Natasha Triplett (Author) and Daniel J. O’Brien (Illustrator)

THE JUNETEENTH STORY - Alliah L. Agostini (Author) and Sawyer Cloud (Illustrator)

OPAL LEE AND  WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FREE: The True Story of The Grandmother Of Juneteenth  - Alice Faye Duncan (Author) and Ketura A. Bobo (Illustrator)

THE HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH: A History Book For New Readers - Arlisha Norwood, PhD (Author) and Sawyer Cloud (Illustrator)

A FLAG FOR JUNETEENTH - Kim Taylor

STAMPED (FOR KIDS): Racism, Anti-Racism, and You - Jason Reynolds & Ibram X Kendi

Want to make a meaningful impact?

Buy your next book from Urban Reads Bookstore - a powerful space founded by Tia Hamilton. Urban REads supports incarcerated authors and serves as a community resource for those too often overlooked. Your purchase helps fund vital renovations, including a reading space for children and an internet cafe for local families.

Burju Shoes promise

We are committed to banning any and all forms of prison labor in our supply chains and partners.

We will continue to inform and educate our community about Juneteenth and True Black History while we continue to learn.

We will use our voice and continue to write and pressure our representatives to support amending the constitution and ending the exception. EndTheException.com