The above image [via Adobe] is the Juneteenth Flag. Click here to learn more about its significance [via The Boston Globe].

This upcoming Sunday is Juneteenth – the day we commemorate the ending of chattel slavery in the United States. This is the second year Juneteenth is being recognized as a federal holiday. Interestingly, a recent poll revealed that most Americans still know little or nothing about Juneteenth. At Clarity we will be observing the holiday on Monday to provide time for our Team to honor Juneteenth’s history, further educate ourselves about it and celebrate. Education is a core pillar of action in the Clarity Commitment to end discrimination, in all forms, in the hiring process.

Below are some of the resources we are watching and reading, many of which have been provided by one of our DEI education partners, Crescendo ー check out their excellent Slack app integration to keep DEI education top of mind for your Team, too. We encourage you to commit some time to the resources below and any others you find in your own research. 

Articles & Videos

• Juneteenth.com – offers a brief history of the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States 
• How companies and individuals can use Juneteenth to practice active allyship – Fast Company article providing ideas for how organizations and individuals can best participate in celebrating Juneteenth
• Attn:’s 5 Things About Juneteenth You Probably Didn’t Know – Twitter video produced by attn: featuring Dr. Tamika Nunley who provides some lesser-known facts about Juneteenth
•  Why All American Should Celebrate Juneteenth – YouTube video produced by Vox explaining the significance of the holiday for all Americans

TV Shows & Movies 

• How to Celebrate Juneteeth – Purewow put together a great list of ways to celebrate including shows and movies to watch such as “Black-ish and Atlanta (who have Juneteenth-centered episodes), films like Miss Juneteenth (a fictional look at the holiday’s pageants) and/or PBS’s docuseries Juneteenth Jamboree about the cultural significance of the day. But aside from learning more about Juneteenth, just put on one of your favorite classic (or recent) Black shows (like A Different World, That’s So Raven or Lovecraft Country) that showcase Black joy and culture in a positive light.”
• 13 Essential TV Shows & Movies About Racism & Race Relations in America
• Shape’s round-up of Black books, podcasts, films, and more to help you learn about this important holiday, Black lives, and help create change including a “What to Watch” list that includes some binge-worthy options — The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, Pose, Dear White People, 13th, When They See Us, The Hate U Give, Just Mercy, Insecure, and Black-ish

 Books & Podcasts

• Ibram X. Kendi’s Antiracist Reading List – If you’re looking for a new book to pick up, check out Ibram X. Kendi’s reading list for the New York Times which includes “a combination of classics, relatively obscure works and a few of recent vintage” works.
• “On Juneteenth” by Annette Gordon-Reed. The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, and first Black student to be integrated into the Texas school system, interweaves her personal, trailblazing history with that of her home state to pierce many of the false narratives we learned as children about the country’s treatment of African Americans.[Click to read the complete Washington Post book review].
• Five children’s books that help young people learn more about slavery, the traditions of Juneteenth and celebrate the resilience, beauty and triumphs of Black people.
• NPR’s Fresh Air episode with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed covering the history of Juneteenth.
• NPR’s podcast Code Switch, which tackles the subject of race head-on by exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between. 
• Listen to ‘1619,’ a Podcast from The New York Times on how slavery has transformed America

Local & Current Events – Juneteenth 2022: 

From Astoria to East Harlem, there are many festivals and celebrations across NYC this weekened. Check out a great compilation here: 12 Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth in NYC.

Have you visited Little Island Yet? They’re throwing a three week party coupling the observances of Juneteenth, Pride and 4th of July which is sure to be a fun summer sensation. Learn more here.

Thank you to Team Crescendo for assembling many useful resources for us, and to Kolt Free and Serena Bartolucci Rubino for additional contributions.