Bookstores Celebrate Juneteenth

In celebration of Juneteenth (June 19), independent bookstores hosted special events and shared reading lists.

A Juneteenth display at Bookmans in Phoenix, Arizona.

Find resources, reading lists, and more in “Celebrating Juneteenth,” published in Bookselling This Week on June 4, and find more celebrations here.

Here are how some indies marked the occasion:

• 44th and 3rd Booksellers in Atlanta, Georgia, featured award-winning author Harold Michael Harvey for a discussion of his books My C. T. Vivian Story: A Powerful Flame That Burned Brightly and The Duke of 18th & Vine: Bob Kendrick Pitches Negro Leagues Baseball.
• Charis Books and More in Decatur, Georgia, shared a reading list on Instagram. Said the store in its Instagram post, “We encourage readers of all ages to learn the specific history of Juneteenth, and explore the many ways different communities have honored the spirit of the day.”
• Beausoleil Books in Lafayette, Louisiana, participated in Acadiana Black's Juneteenth block party.
• Subterranean Books in St. Louis, Missouri, shared a quote from Ralph Ellison’s novel Juneteenth: “God is love, I said, but art’s the possibility of forms, and shadows are the source of identity.”
• Our Town Books in Jacksonville, Illinois, closed early in observance of Juneteenth.
• Comma Bookstore in Flint, Michigan, shared that its Black Buckham Juneteenth Festival was a success.
• BookPeople in Austin, Texas, encouraged customers to check out Juneteenth 2021: Stay Black and Live Vol. 2, a virtual and in person festival in Texas.
• Belmont Books in Belmont, Massachusetts, invited customers to shop Juneteenth titles.

Additionally, to honor Juneteenth, Libro.fm is working with 25 Black-owned partner bookstores to give away audiobook copies of On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed, narrated by Karen Chilton (Recorded Books, Inc.). These Black-owned partner bookstores will distribute more than 1,500 copies of the audiobook to their customers. Learn more about Libro.fm’s plans for Juneteenth here.