2 Documentaries To Stream On Juneteenth

Juneteenth is celebrated to commemorate the freeing of enslaved peoples at the end of the American Civil War through the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation with Major General Gordon Granger’s arrival in Galveston, Texas. The meaning behind celebrating the moment laws are put into action, as opposed to the mere signing of physical paper, carries immense significance for civil rights activists today.

If you’re in the mood to engage further with this history and black documentarists, check out these two selections from PBS below.

Happy Juneteenth!

Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom

Director Ya’Ke Sith and pastor Rasool Berry travel through Texas to explore the complex history linking slavery and Christianity, from its manipulation by White Christians to justify the slave trade to becoming an instrumental source of hope in enslaved people’s fight for freedom. Participation from genealogists, historians, pastors, activists, and ancestors of Texas slaves provides a multi-dimensional view of the historic significance of the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in the longhorn state two years after it was signed.

Juneteenth: The Long Road to Freedom

A succinct documentary (just under half an hour) produced and directed by Mark St. George for local WSIU TV in Carbondale, Illinois, this special examines Juneteenth through the lens of its past, present, and future relevance, from Texas’ roots in resisting the official end of slavery to its significance in modern civil rights and social justice movements and recognition as a national holiday in 2021.