Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day,” commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. It is celebrated and recognized as a holiday across the country with festivals, cookouts, parades, and more.

Check out these five ways to observe Juneteenth with your loved ones and community!

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1. SHOP BLACK

Supporting Black-owned businesses is a great way to honor and celebrate Juneteenth. This simple practice generates money for individuals and families to improve the well-being of their communities. Websites and apps like Official Black Wall Street serve as a directory for a wide variety of Black-owned businesses where patrons can find restaurants, clothing stores, fitness studios, organizations, and much more!

2. VISIT THE NMAAHC

What better way to celebrate Juneteenth than to visit (in-person or virtually) the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This Smithsonian Institution offers a wide variety of exhibits detailing the Black experience. Click HERE for more information. (Bonus: WE've also compiled a list of local events going on in cities around the country. Find a celebration HERE!)

3. HOST A BLACK MOVIE MARATHON

Below is just a shortlist of films that celebrate Black joy, love, and brilliance. You can also check out ALLBLK for a variety of movies and documentaries.

• The Great Debaters
• Hidden Figures
• Black Panther
• Soul
• Sylvie's Love
• The Photograph
• Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
• Drumline
• Crooklyn
• Miss Juneteenth
• The Wiz
• Girls Trip
• Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella
• Love & Basketball
• The Wood
• Love Jones
• Queen of Katwe
• Akeelah and the Bee
• Coming to America
• Black Is King

4. READ BLACK STORIES

Observe the holiday reading fictional and nonfictional literature by Black authors that will educate and celebrate.

• Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison
• The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
• Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
• The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
• Juneteenth Jamboree by Carole Boston
• Grace by Natashia Deón
• Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
• All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880 by W. E. B. Du Bois

5. LISTEN TO A JUNETEENTH PLAYLIST

Black artists have inspired music for generations, across all genres. Press play on our Juneteenth playlist and celebrate the creators — past and present — who have gifted us with their work.