It’s a time of celebration and reflection, and Thinkery is proud to celebrate Juneteenth with our Central Texas community this year.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a day of celebration and recognition of the end of chattel slavery in Texas. It is referred to as Freedom Day or a second Independence Day.
On June 19, 1865, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, army troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved Black Americans of their freedom.
The following year — and every year thereafter — June 19 has been a celebration of freedom in the Black community in Texas and beyond, but it wasn’t until June of 2021 that Juneteenth National Independence Day was officially adopted as a federal holiday.
Ways to celebrate
From books to events to conversations, the Thinkery Team has been having a blast celebrating this special holiday. We hope you can join in on the celebration of Black freedom and heritage. Here are a few of the several ways in which Thinkery invites you to celebrate and learn more about this joyous day:
Attend Events
Celebrate Juneteenth and learn about Black Inventors at Thinkery
- Join us in celebrating Black heritage and Black freedom during our Family Night event on June 24. This FREE community event will feature local organizations, a cooking demonstration, arts, crafts, and community resources!
Freedom Fest 2025
- Our friends at Austin Area Urban League are throwing a free community gathering at Turner Roberts Recreation Center June 14. There will be live music, food, and fun activities!
Read Books
Reading a book with your young learner can be a great way for you both to learn more about Juneteenth.
Select some kid-friendly books to read in celebration of Juneteenth. Check out the following titles which are also available at your local library:
- Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper
- Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free by Alice Duncan
- The faith of Elijah Cummings by Carole Weatherford
- All Rise by Carole Weatherford
Support Community Organizations
There are many incredible organizations in Central Texas preserving and furthering Black culture in our community. Many of which will be hosting Juneteenth events for the community.
Thinkery partners with many community organizations year-round. We’d like to highlight the following organizations that will be a part of our upcoming Community Spotlight:
- STEAM Kids
- Black Tours of Austin
- Austin Area Urban League
What does Juneteenth mean to the Thinkery team?
In honor of Juneteenth, Thinkery has done multiple things to bring this holiday into awareness with not just the community, but our team as well. We asked our team members what Juneteenth means to them. Some responses included showing up for Black friends and community members, “an opportunity to continue learning,” a “hope for change,” and “Black joy!” Here are more words about Juneteenth memories and what Juneteenth means to some of our Thinkery team members:
Juneteenth to me means a celebration of freedom and voices being heard.
Juneteenth to me is a celebration of finally freedom for all. It’s the strength of community. It’s also cookouts and parks and great food and music. It’s also a time of reflection on what we are doing today to get to a reality of true justice and freedom for all.
Mom would load up me and my brothers and we would go to Willie Washington Park in Brady, TX. Burgers, hot dogs, horseshoes and washers tournaments.
Juneteenth marks a moment to celebrate the true joy of freedom. The beginning of sovereign existence and the beauty of Black resilience, intelligence, ingenuity, creativity, and all that swag. So much swag.