Juneteenth Coloring Book

 

This post is about my new Juneteenth Coloring book just released (or as my grandson would say, just DROPPED) on Amazon. The coloring book is for kids and intended to shine a little more light on the meaning behind the Juneteenth celebration, for kids through images, from the time of the African ancestors who were unable to enjoy much of what we take for granted today. Back in 1865 unity, a sense of resilience, and freedom, were all things the institution of slavery fought hard to keep away from the American African people. With, "Freedom" for themselves and their families being the number-one desire for  Americans from Africa back then. A freedom the slave ancestors both preyed for and fought for. Several hundred years of African ancestors would not live long enough to see what happened on June 19th, 1865 so today on Juneteenth we celebrate that freedom for them.

This coloring book was created to provide one more significant interest, and understanding of the newest federal holiday in this nation, and also just happens to be, the oldest African American celebration, in this nation. Juneteenth as a national holiday may only be a few years old, but the Juneteenth celebration has been going on in the United States ever since June 19th, 1865. I wanted to get this coloring book out before this coming Juneteenth celebration so that as families gather at the parks and squares around the nation, and children flip through the pages of this coloring book, adding their own colorful interpretation to the historic characters, and moments depicted inside, they take away a better understanding of this holiday so long denied federal recognition.

With each stroke of the marker, or crayon participants not only understand and celebrate the progress made on that fateful day, in Galveston Texas, in 1865, but they gain an even clearer picture of the battle still going on today due to the lack of justice and equality that stems from back in 1865, when the institution of slavery changed into the institution of racism. During the time that slavery existed in this nation, the majority of Americans from Africa were not allowed to keep their families together. That is why I say that Juneteenth is all about family because now the African American family is strong, and if it's not, it still could be. So as laughter fills the air of the Juneteenth celebration you attend or host, think of every family gathering as an opportunity for the older of us to bridge the gap between generations and reinforce the timeless importance of the African ancestors and Juneteenth.

The Juneteenth coloring book serves not only as a source of entertainment, and activity for the kids but also as a symbol of hope and solidarity and a reminder to us all that the journey toward equality and freedom is one we must all continue to pursue, Juneteenth after Juneteenth, together.

These are some of my other books

The Freedom Warrior, Harriet Tubman

 

A beacon of resistance, resilience, and a love of freedom, Harriet Tubman proved to all of those who would follow her that there was truly a way out of the clutches of slavery. She knew personally the dark side of slavery and what it was like to be treated only as property. While she could do little about the inequities and the lack of human rights, she was able to make a difference when it came to freeing, not only herself but all of her enslaved brothers and sisters brave enough to follow her out of the shadow of slavery. 

Let's face it, what Harriet did was dangerous both to herself and to all those she shepherded. Following Harriet into a world where not all white people were bad, and not all black people were good, across an anti-freedom minefield which, for a slave was a journey that, if you were lucky enough to make it to freedom, would never occur to a newly freed person, to simply rest of a while then say, ok! Let's do that again! 

But that is exactly what Harriet Tubman would do, determined to free her people (the ones who would follow her) from slavery one person at a time if she had to. Willing to put her life on the line for the anti-slavery cause until there was no longer a need for the support she received from the other abolitionists also working on the Underground Railroad. When slavery was no more she no longer needed support from the Underground Railroad who helped Harreit finance the purchase of shoes that were worn off her feet, and those of her followers. 

After slavery was abolished in the U.S. Harriet Tubman along with other female abolitionists, like Susan B. Anthony would recommit their activism to Women's Suffrage, and work to improve the 15th Amendment that granted African American men (not women) the right to vote.