"They Still Weren't Treated as Equals": Analyzing the Story of Juneteenth in Children's Literature Through a Lens of Critical Race Theory

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Fifteen
  In Roundtable Session: Centering Blackness in Education (Table 7)

Abstract

As Juneteenth becomes more popularized in dominant culture and with more authors writing about Juneteenth in children’s books, we seek to present this holiday by giving a counter narrative perspective of its historical roots and the continuing unjust structures of race still prevalent today. Learning about Juneteenth involves a discussion of celebration, but also naming and addressing injustice. This paper seeks to blend the theory and framework of Critical Race Theory and Critical Whiteness with practical knowledge of literature around one specific area, Juneteenth.

Authors

• Amber Lawson, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author

• Rebecca L. Witte, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author