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Informed & Inspired

A MONTHLY UPDATE FOR THE LIBRARY’S MOST AWESOME ADVOCATES: KIDS!

june 2025

Name: Ciel

Age: 12

Favorite genre: Fiction

Why I love reading: I love the ability to learn stories that are different than what I’ve experienced, but in a way that I can understand what other people are going through.

Let’s Celebrate Freedom!

In June we celebrate two big holidays: Juneteenth (June 19) and Pride Month. These holidays have different origins, but the spirit of both is rooted in FREEDOM!

Did you know that even though President Lincoln made slavery illegal by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, many enslavers ignored it? All over the South, enslaved people had no idea they were supposed to be free because no one told them. Juneteenth is a celebration of June 19, 1865 (more than two years later!) when Northern soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and shared this news. The people who were freed from slavery celebrated with prayer, feasting, song, and dance. Juneteenth is also sometimes called Freedom Day.

Pride Month is a celebration of freedom for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, who have long been harmed by many forms of discrimination, including messages telling them that they should be ashamed of who they are. Our society has become more accepting and our government has provided protections for many LGBTQIA+ people. But many, especially Trans people, are still victims of discrimination. During Pride month, we celebrate everyone’s human rights to love who they love and to live as their authentic selves.

Why is Freedom so important?

One online kids' dictionary says that when people have freedom, they can move and act as they wish. They can choose what they want to do.

There are lots of reasons why this is important! Today we can make lots of our own choices, but even here in America, the Land of the Free, there have been many times in the past when freedoms were limited. At times in our country's history, only certain people were allowed to do these things:

In 1923, the U.S. Attorney General issued a statement saying that women could wear pants anytime they wanted. Before then, they had to wear dresses! Even after that, until the 1960s, many schools still required women to wear skirts.

Photo: Adam Smith Institute

Married women couldn't own their own property until 1848, and single women couldn't get a loan or a credit card without a male relative's signature until 1970.

Photo from the Smithsonian.

Until 1968, a bank or landlord could refuse to sell or rent a home to someone just because of their skin color, religion or disability. The Civil Rights Act provides protections, but there are some groups of people who are not protected and can still suffer discrimination.

Photo: The New York Times.

Women couldn't vote until 1920, and Black people weren’t granted voting rights until 1963. Even now there are barriers that make it more difficult for some groups of people to vote.

Photos: Wikipedia and The NYT

During slavery, it was illegal for anyone to teach an enslaved person to read. Enslavers knew that with literacy and knowledge comes power, and they wanted to keep that from enslaved people. They also didn’t want enslaved people to send messages to each other.

Photo from The PBS Blog.

Choose who to marry

Couples of two different races couldn't legally marry until 1967. And before 2015, samesex marriage was only legal in certain states.

How can you celebrate Freedom?

LEARN ABOUT FREEDOM, JUNETEENTH, AND PRIDE

This educational video from PBS Learning Media explains Juneteenth for kids.

This Juneteenth toolkit, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (part of the Smithsonian), provides resources to learn more about the significance of Juneteenth.

There are a lot of different Pride flags because there are a lot of different LGBTQIA+ identities! Click on the picture above to learn what each one represents.

This short video from Britannica Kids explains the history of Pride Month and the Stonewall Riots that led to this observance.

Watch this Crash Course about Marsha P. Johnson, a brave woman who played an important part in the Stonewall riots. This led to protections for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and Pride Month!

Rights and freedoms go hand-in-hand. A right is a legal protection of a freedom. Visit Humanium to learn more about children’s rights and the freedoms they protect.

Talk about it! WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL FREE?

Jon Batiste is a American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, bandleader, television personality and actor. He has won five Grammy Awards and one Academy Award! His music is a blend of jazz, pop, and classical.

He wrote this song about some things that make him feel free. Click the image to listen to the song with an adult and talk about it -- What are some of the things that help him feel free? What makes you feel free like this?

Many people have fought hard for the freedoms that we often take for granted today, and many minorities and marginalized groups are still fighting. Be grateful for your freedom, and use your voice to speak up and lift others!

What are some freedoms you have? How can you help someone else?

If you see someone getting teased at school, be a friend to the Freedom comes with responsibility! Use your freedoms to help others, not to do harm.

Speak up! If you hear about a group of people losing freedoms, write an email to your lected

Talk to your grownup about the kinds of freedoms you have: choosing your own friends, having a safe place to live, and more.

Read about it!

BOOKS ABOUT JUNETEENTH, PRIDE, AND FREEDOM

There are plenty of books in the library about Juneteenth, Pride, and freedom. Here are just a few. Click on the picture to see the book in our online catalog. If it sounds interesting, you can put it on hold and check it out!