It’s Juneteenth! This holiday marks the day in 1865 when the Emancipation Proclamation was finally enforced in Texas, freeing enslaved Black Americans—a full 900 days after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Proclamation. Juneteenth has been celebrated in Texas since 1867, but it only became a federal holiday in 2021 due to the persistent efforts of activist Dr. Opal Lee.

If you, like me, are a non-Black person who has today off, consider spending it with a book from this post. Please consider purchasing that book from a Black-owned bookstore via Bookshop.org or Libro.fm. If you can’t purchase a book today, maybe you can visit your local public library!

Note: I have not tagged the books in this post because clicking through those links uses my affiliate code, which earns Fat Forward Books a small commission. As a white creator, I do not want to profit off of this post. Please search for these titles on your preferred book retailer's website!