How to celebrate Juneteenth at Home

Juneteenth celebrated at home can be every bit as exciting as the best Juneteenth Day Celebration you have attended anywhere else. With the exception that at home there will probably be even more close family members and friends to celebrate along with you. For me, the Juneteenth celebration has always been about family.

Don't get me wrong the end of slavery was monumental and even marked in time a new direction for this country and American African people in this nation.

The reason I believe that Juneteenth is all about family is that after June 19th, 1865, American African families could no longer be separated by slavery. No more could family members be sold away from each other as punishment, or for profit. That is one of the main reasons I celebrate Juneteenth and usually try to remind family and friends that what we take for granted today, a family to celebrate with, was once upon a time not a given.

So let me list some of the ways you and your family can celebrate Juneteenth at home. Host your own backyard Juneteenth Celebration for family and friends. And when you do be sure to support a black business or two if you can to supply you with Juneteenth celebration necessities. 

Cook some of the traditional foods associated with the Juneteenth celebration making sure to adhere to the Juneteenth tradition of drinking something red. Many of the soul food dishes today like beans, cornbread, watermelon cabbage, and greens are some of the same foods fed on by our American African ancestors.

For entertainment, listen to the music or poetry from black artists to support them, their poetry or music. Read books written by black poets, and authors like Hank Gray, the good fellow writing this post. Make it a point to watch black television shows or movies especially those dedicated to black culture, keeping in mind that American African history did not begin with the end of slavery. African culture predates the Roman Empire and is worth knowing about.

These are just a few of the ways I chose to celebrate Juneteenth in 2021 and will probably once again in 2022 celebrate the oldest African American celebration in the United States with family and friends. Whether you choose to visit one of the many Juneteenth 2022 celebrations scheduled for this year or decide on the more intimate gathering of just family and friends be advised this Juneteenth is the first one-year celebration of Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday so make this, a Juneteenth celebration to be remembered!