Observing Juneteenth
AWP recognizes June 19, 1865, as the historic day when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the last enslaved people in the United States, in Galveston, Texas—more than two years after the proclamation was issued. Below, find resources that reflect on Juneteenth and celebrate Black writers.
You can support Black authors year-round by buying and reading their work. To browse both recent and classic titles, visit our Bookshop.org Black History Month and Black poetry lists.
From The Writer’s Chronicle
MFA vs. HBCU by Kendra Nicole Bryant, October 2025
#AWP25 HBCU Fellowship Program Reflections August 2025
A Very Unlikely Author by Princess Joy L. Perry, August 2025
From Muse to Subject: Crafting Poems from the Life of Nina Simone by Shonda Buchanan, August 2025
Reflections from the #AWP24 HBCU Fellowship Program, October 2024
Ready to Dream Again: A Conversation with A. Van Jordan by Lauren Myers-Hinkle, April 2024
BE: Black Experimental Women Writers on Interdisciplinary Craft by Rochelle Spencer, February 2024
Truth(s) Be Told: Citizenship and Composite Counterstories by Donald Quist, November 2023
The AWP HBCU Fellowship: The Recipients and Advisor A. J. Verdelle Reflect on the Program’s Inaugural Year by A. J. Verdelle, September 2023
An Interview with Jericho Brown by Jona Colson, November 2020
Middle Passage at 25: Charles Johnson Reflects on His National Book Award–Winning Novel and More by Robin Lindley, February 2017
In Our Way: Racism in Creative Writing by Claudia Rankine, October/November 2016
Whole Sight: Notes on New Black Fiction by Charles Johnson, February 1985
Rewatch AWP Events
#AWP26 Pages On-Beat: Rhythm & Prose—A Lecture by MK Asante
#AWP26 Black Poets & Their Fictions: A Reading & Conversation, Sponsored by Furious Flower Poetry Center
#AWP26 Cave Canem Presents: POETS LAUREATE!
The Writer’s Desk: The Stories We Carry—Writing Remembrance, Radiance & Resilience
#AWP25 Keynote Address with Roxane Gay
#AWP25 Black Words Are Black Wealth: A Lecture by Tayari Jones, Sponsored by IngramSpark
#AWP25 Cave Canem Presents Magnitude & Bond: A Field Study on Black Literary Arts Organizations
#AWP25 Like a Hammer: Poets on Mass Incarceration Book Launch, Sponsored by the U of A Poetry Center
#AWP24 Keynote Address by Jericho Brown
#AWP24 Black Women As (Keepers of) the Archive: Photographs, Hybrid and Historical Text
#AWP23 Blue Flower Arts Presents Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Kwame Dawes, and Chigozie Obioma
#AWP23 Cave Canem Presents: Duende & The Harlem Arts Salon
#AWP22 Honoring the Endeavor with Cornelius Eady & Toi Derricotte
#AWP21 Tribute to June Jordan, Sponsored by Copper Canyon Press
Virtual AWP in Conversation: Celebrating Black Poetry with Cave Canem
Virtual AWP Pedagogy: Reclaiming Genre Fiction for the Creative Writing Classroom
NBCC Award Winners Edwidge Danticat and Sarah M. Broom on Finding Home
Legacy Conversations with C. S. Giscombe and Nathaniel Mackey, Sponsored by Cave Canem
AWP Virtual Book Club Featuring Horsepower by Joy Priest
Virtual AWP: Conversations with Writers Featuring Maurice Carlos Ruffin & Regina Brooks
Resources
On Juneteenth from the US National Archives
Juneteenth: Connecting the Historic to the Now from the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Juneteenth and Culinary History – A Conversation between Adrian Miller and Kevin Young from the NMAAHC
The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth, a brief article from the NMAAHC
Learning Lab Collections, interactive collections of objects, stories, and resources from the NMAAHC
Digital Resource Guide, an extensive list of digital resources and educational offerings from the NMAAHC
Upcoming Online Events
All events are listed in ET.
Thursday, June 11, 2026
7:00 p.m. Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations
This event features food writer Nicole A. Taylor, author of the very first cookbook to celebrate Juneteenth. In Watermelon and Red Birds, she bridges the traditional African American table and twenty-first-century flavors in stories and recipes.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
3:00 p.m. 250 Years: How Juneteenth Reframes the Story of American Independence
As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, this virtual forum invites participants to examine the historical legacy of Juneteenth. Drawing from scholarship on emancipation, Reconstruction, Black organizing, and the long pursuit of citizenship, the conversation centers on how freedom has been deferred, defined, reclaimed, and reimagined across generations.
7:00 p.m. Juneteenth Storytelling Series
Alternative Avenues Through the Arts Inc. & Fresh Start Coaching LLC present the Juneteenth Storytelling Series, where voices come alive to celebrate freedom and heritage! Dive into powerful tales, laughs, and memories shared by community storytellers. This event is for all ages.
Friday, June 19, 2026
7:00 p.m. Juneteenth Spoken Word Open Mic!
Dandelion Roots & Sage Circle is hosting an uplifting celebration that will elevate the spirit and resound with joy. All skill levels are welcome at this joyous, family-friendly gathering.
Saturday, June 27, 2026
3:00 p.m. Talking Toni ~ Jazz Book Discussion
Participate in the Juneteenth installment of Talking Toni, featuring Jazz, one of Toni Morrison’s most inventive and musically inspired novels! Advanced registration via Zoom is required.