The pictures above came from the Library of Congress Public Archives, and if you have an afternoon (or week) to kill, we highly recommend you checking it out. There is a search bar to use when you have a key word, location, or event that you specifically want to find information about. In our case, the term “Juneteenth” resulted mostly in images from 2020 and Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington D.C. The term “Jubilee Day” was too broad, and “Emancipation Day” included far too many results.
Finally, the term “Black Celebration” (after applying several filters) retrieved the first picture in the set. There is little cited about the picture and although the assumption is that the crowd is gathered for the 4th of July, the time in which the photo was thought to be taken was June 1939. The location is St. Helena Island, South Carolina and although Juneteenth celebrations originated in Texas, they had become more commercialized and were common in the South at this time.
The second photo was a result of basically searching “Black people” and “Texas”. This photo is of a man sitting in front of a Barbecue stand in Corpus Cristi, TX. We love everything about this photo – from the expression on the man’s face; to the 7Up ad; to the galvanized metal exterior and promise of Hot Sausages. Barbecue is also significant to the rich food traditions of Juneteenth and symbolism of red food and drink.
Join us in this episode as we discuss the origins of the celebration, how it has been observed through history, and the food that plays such an important role in this Day.
Food photos and recipes from the recording are soon to come. If you would like to know how to make the Strawberry Red Mule we drank during this episode, head over to our Patreon and become a member! https://www.patreon.com/butterpecanpod
Sources for E. 14 Juneteenth: As American As BBQ Ribs:
How Red Food and Drink Joined the Juneteenth Feast
Butter Pecan Pod 