Jill Cox-Cordova

In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than 3.5 million enslaved people living in Confederate states to be “forever free.” It wasn’t until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX, on June 19 two years later, however, that the enslaved first learned of their freedom. That date became known as Juneteenth, first celebrated in 1866, first declared a federal holiday in 2021. This book list is a Juneteenth commemoration in the form of fiction and nonfiction about its history and the long-standing implications of enslavement and the Jim Crow era.

Stephen A. Marshall’s latest book, Hymenoptera: The Natural History and Diversity of Wasps, Bees and Ants, was one of LJ’s Best Print Reference picks for 2023 and also won the prestigious Dartmouth Medal. LJ invited Marshall to reflect upon the definition of reference, his approach to writing and research, and his fieldwork.

In 1926, Carter G. Woodson envisioned a weeklong commemoration to increase awareness of Black history and culture. In the 1960s, protests against racial injustice transformed it into a monthlong celebration, but Black History Month wasn't formally recognized by the U.S. until 1976. This celebration is a collective part of American history, which this list spotlights. 

Anjelica Rufus-Barnes consistently conveys with concision and clarity all that our readers want to know about titles.