Writing On Juneteenth (virtual)

Annette Gordon-Reed will speak with Catherine Allgor about her process of writing On Juneteenth. Listed as one of the 10 Best Books of 2021 by the New York Times, the book weaves together American history, dramatic family chronicles, and searing episodes of memoir. The book provides a historian’s view of the country’s long road to Juneteenth, recounting both its origins in Texas and the enormous hardships that African Americans have endured in the century since. While critically acclaimed, the release of On Juneteenth overlapped with a significant increase in partisan attacks on the teaching of history and, highlighting the divisions that still exist in America, became a target of criticism in some media outlets.