Juneteenth: Understanding and Honoring

media release: Taking place on Wednesday, June 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Library Community Room, adult services will offer two-part programming that includes a presentation by Dr. Christy Clark-Pujara, associate professor of history in the Department Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin Madison, which examines Juneteenth in its historical context. She will be followed by a panel of local Black and African American community leaders consisting of Donna Mackey, Jerry Butler, David Virgell, and Crystal Johnson sharing their thoughts on what Juneteenth means to them in the present. Marilyn Ruffin will moderate the panel. 

Youth services will be leading a Juneteenth picture book movie viewing of “Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free” by Alice Faye Duncan and Keturah A. Bobo on Monday, June 19 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Storytime Room. This is a drop-in program with the movie continuously running and followed by an activity.