High on the Hog author Dr. Jessica B. Harris tells us what to cook, watch, read, and more this Juneteenth
June 19th is Juneteenth, a holiday for celebration, reflection, and remembrance. The name is a combination of the words June and Nineteenth, and it marks the emancipation of African-American slaves in 1865. You may be thinking, “but wasn’t the Emancipation Proclamation signed in 1862?” While that’s technically correct, many southern plantation owners simply ignored the new law until they were forced by the Union army to free enslaved people. In Texas, with its massive amount of land, it wasn’t until June 19th, 1865 that African-Americans in Galveston were finally told they were free. Juneteenth celebrations date all the way back to 1866, but it wasn’t until recently that President Biden declared it a federal holiday, the first new holiday to be recognized since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
Since any good celebration involves great food, we looked to the best expert around to give us some advice for the weekend: Dr. Jessica B. Harris, author of High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America. Dr. J’s book was recently turned into a Netflix docuseries of the same name, and we highly recommend you watch it. See below for her thoughts on how to commemorate Juneteenth.
What to cook: Fire up the grill — it’s time to barbecue! Check out one of the new barbecue cookbooks by pitmaster Rodney Scott or culinary historian Adrian Miller, or pick a classic recipe from an African American cookbook author. Whatever you cook, make sure you’ve got some red drink on hand. Hibiscus tea, chilled red zinger, traditional red soda, or just strain some crushed strawberries into ginger ale or sparkling wine. It’s got to be really red.
What to watch: Watch Barry Jenkins’s Underground Railroad to learn something. Then, get a smile and some relief (‘cause Underground Railroad is not easy to watch!) by watching Soul.
What to read: If I were self-serving, I would say read my book High on the Hog! But I’m not…so, read On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed. It’s a Texas historian’s recounting of the state and the holiday’s history.
What to listen to: Make up your own Juneteenth playlist of songs like Common & John Legend’s Glory, Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ Oh Happy Day, and more or go online and discover one of the many pre-existing ones. Play them loud, dance, and celebrate!
What to do: Check out the online activities at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. But especially… Rejoice! Remember! THINK!!!
