Students will increase their understanding of the oldest African American celebration to mark the end of enslavement in the United States.  Students will learn about the historical foundation of the holiday Juneteenth via instructor presentation. Students will then participate in a craft that highlights the historical details of this cultural holiday.

I hold a Ph.D. in English Literature and Language with a specialization in Nineteenth-Century African American and American Literature, Epistolary Theory, and African American Epistolary Literature.  Additionally, my area of research and scholarship centered on letters written from African American soldiers who served in the USCT.  In 2017, I transcribed twenty-one letters written by Pvt. Alonzo Reed of the 102nd Michigan USCT and submitted those transcriptions to Duke University's David Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where the original letters are housed.  I have published articles on this topic in peer-reviewed journals and books, and have presented at conferences, workshops, museums, and educational institutions.  My personal connection to the topic and my cross-curricular approach makes this a unique course and learning experience.  My third great-grandfather escaped a Virginia plantation and joined the 29th Illinois USCT.  Using archival and genealogical resources, I was able to learn more about family, state, and national history.  

We will refer to the Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 several times in this class.  We will also refer to primary source documents to include first-hand accounts from soldiers who were present at the reading of Gen. Order No. 3. Historical information was obtained from the book The History of Juneteenth: A History Book for New Readers written by Arlisha Norwood, Ph.D.