Thursday, October 1, 2026
Sea Cliff librarian Ann DiPietro and her husband, Dan, held the Stenson Memorial Library’s third annual Juneteenth celebration, educating the community’s children about the holiday and its role in American history.
Dan put together a playlist, and children had the opportunity to do Juneteenth educational crafts like bookmark and wreath making at the June 19 event. Families were encouraged to check out picture and chapter books about Juneteenth.
The DiPietros have held the same educational event for the last three years.
“I felt the holiday,” Ann said, “needed some kind of explanation or celebration.”
Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. It marks the day in 1865 that enslaved people in the United States, particularly Texas, were emancipated after 300 hundred years.
Federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, announcing the end of the Civil War and that enslaved people were free more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Slavery was abolished under the 13th amendment by the end of 1865.
Advocates fought for more than 20 years to have Juneteenth declared a federal holiday.
“It’s an important part of American history, and it can easily be overlooked,” Ann said, “and we wanted to make sure that was not the case.”
Each family that attended the event at the children’s library received a copy of a paperback chapter book explaining the history of Juneteenth from what Ann described as a “children’s approach.”
“I encouraged them,” Ann said, “in addition to the books that they checked out, to read this book together as a family.”
The library has a collection of books about Juneteenth for elementary school aged children available for checkout.
Ann added that she observed the children who attended were receptive to learning about the day. The children’s library will host the event again in 2027.
“I think,” Ann said, “it’s an important thing to do.”
