Juneteenth commemorates the end of chattel slavery in the United States. It memorializes and celebrates freedom, resilience, Black excellence and provides a time to reflect on the challenges to liberation still present in American society.
These books and readings from the Marriott Library’s collection attempt to showcase the rich history of Juneteenth and African American culture.
The books will be on display and available for checkout during the University of Utah’s 2025 Juneteenth celebration event—"And Still We Rise: Juneteenth Panel Discussion"—on Friday, June 20, 2025, at noon in Room 1150 on Level 1 of the Marriott Library.
Look for Librarian Allyson Mower if you would like to check out the books and learn more about the other readings mentioned in the list.
The Emancipation Proclamation (facsimile) signed by President Abraham Lincoln
Written in 1863, a year before the end of the Civil War, this document conveys President Abraham Lincoln’s intention to emancipate African Americans held in bondage and to list the states and counties considered in rebellion to the United States because of that act of bondage. Marriott Library has a facsimile in Rare Books.
The National Archives have digitized the original.
“2022 Oral Histories of Black Utahns” conducted by Sema Hadithi African American Heritage & Culture Foundation
Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. has written that, over generations, Juneteenth became a time to gather and retell lost stories, which is the primary mission of the Sema Hadithi African American Heritage & Culture Foundation. Led by Robert Burch and Alice Faulkner Burch, they conducted several oral histories of those living in Utah in the fall of 2022. The stories are personal, compelling and offer a rare opportunity to gain a better understanding of the lived experiences of everyone in our community.
“Go Back and Get It” by Dionne Ford
A finalist for the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation Legacy Award, this memoir tells the story of what it takes to discover the history of one’s ancestry as an African American. The photo that author Dionne Ford happened upon is one of the most iconic photographs I have ever seen—one that draws you in and keeps you there, which the book as a whole also does. A truly masterful work of genealogical and personal discovery.
“Juneteenth” by Ralph Ellison
Published posthumously, this evocative book immediately connects you to loveable and humorous characters—a group of elderly African Americans seeking to obtain an unscheduled audience with a U.S. senator. With writing more powerful than film in its ability to establish the scene (arguably even better than “Invisible Man”), Ellison shows the precarity with which full freedom and emancipation can exist as epitomized by the booming voice, vision and entrenchment of the U.S. senator.
“Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking” by Toni Tipton-Martin
Author of the award-winning book “The Jemima Code,” Toni Tipton-Martin wrote this beautiful 2019 cookbook to explore her own family history and document the ethno-botany of West African foodways present in African American culture. The recipes are amazing—hibiscus tea, okra salad, braised lamb shanks, sweet potato bread, lemon meringue pie and many more—which make this a highly recommended title.
“Life Upon These Shores: Looking at African American History, 1513-2008” by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
For a rich discussion of the Emancipation Proclamation, reach for this seminal history by Henry Louis Gates Jr. You can easily spend all summertime with this book and come away feeling more fully educated on our shared American history.
“Playlist for the Apocalypse” by Rita Dove
Henry Louis Gates Jr. imparts that religious sermons and spirituals were and are often part of Juneteenth celebrations and poetry is most definitely a type of sermon. Of Rita Dove’s newest collection, I recommend “Youth Sunday” and “Declaration of Independence.”
Also, be sure to check out the digitized sermons by Rev. France Davis.
