Today marks 155 years since African American slaves were set free in the United States—and 157 years since legislature was passed to outlaw slavery. Following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, and made effective January 1, 1863, liberation for all remaining enslaved individuals finally took place on July 19, 1865.
As certain cities in the U.S. continue to push to make the occasion an official holiday, plenty of artists and outlets within the music industry are pushing for awareness. Bandcamp, for instance, is donating 100 percent of their proceeds on sales today to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, while several Black artists have written new songs for the occasion, or have enlisted fellow songwriters to join their live stream events.
To help you celebrate, we’ve compiled a few resources below related to the holiday. You can also read up on Juneteenth here, and hear two new tracks from Anderson .Paak Public Enemy below.
List of artists and labels donating their share of Bandcamp sales to racial justice organizations
11 releases from Black artists we recommend you support on Bandcamp
Usher’s Washington Post op-ed: Why It’s So Important That Juneteenth Become a National Holiday
