the making of juneteenth
The Making Of Juneteenth, is a discussion and lecture series that will delve into different historical markers, that are precursors to the
Emancipation Proclamation and the eventual emancipation of all enslaved people in America, Juneteenth, and the events that followed.
Created by Risky Cereal
Funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance
a note from the artist
My family hails from Houston TX although I was born and raised in Los Angeles I grew up with a strong awareness of Juneteenth because my Grandfather's brother's son Al Edwards was responsible for authoring the bill that helped make Juneteenth a federal holiday. With all of this on my side I still didn’t understand why Black people would want to celebrate being the last to know that they were free, I actually was embarrassed by the thought of it. In 2005 I moved with my family to Houston from Los Angeles.
Moving to Houston gave me the opportunity to be closer to my roots and to speak to my elders about how life was in what they would call the old days. This new connection or should I say reconnection ignited a fire in me to not only research my family's history but to research Juneteenth
After I got the Juneteenth Holy Ghost I felt everyone should know what I was learning so it led me to do even more research. From my research I learned Juneteenth was just not one event, there was a lot that went along with it. In 2024 I was awarded a grant by the Houston Artist Alliance to create a curriculum on Juneteenth and curate a series of talks and dinners led by local historians. I am proud to be able to share my research with you, and I would like to thank all of the historians who’s information I have compiled and am able to share with you.
The Curriculum
In this curriculum my objective is to explain Juneteenth and why it deserves to be celebrated, by giving information on events that predate the emancipation of enslaved people in America, and some of the connected events that occurred after.
I begin this curriculum in lesson one with a dive into ancient African people like the Dogon people. One might ask what the Dogon have to do with Juneteenth and my answer comes in the form of a theory. The Dogon were aware of celestial happenings thousands of years before modern science could prove it, and knowledge of the stars is the key to sailing and exploration. The idea of early Africans not exploring the Atlantic goes along with the trope of Blacks being afraid of the water. The Dogon's early knowledge of the stars makes them the fathers of Celestial Navigation also known as Astro Navigation which led to modern satellite navigation we use today. This information leads me to believe that people from this region could use the stars to map a path along the Atlantic Ocean to explore.
With lesson one as a possible explanation of the relationship between ancient Africa and modern America, lessons two, three , four and five will delve into slavery and the eventual emancipation of all enslaved people in America and events that came after.
Enjoy your reading.
Drew Edwards Evans
download the full juneteenth curriculum packet
Data compiled by Risky Cereal ~ Designed by deniz dee!colonize lopez
