UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the new documentary film “Juneteenth: Exploring Freedom Stories,” activist Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” says “freedom belongs to all of us.”
The film, released in February by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC), celebrates and explores the history behind the newly created federal holiday and how it is connected to the American idea of freedom that Lee spoke of.
This year, in honor of Juneteenth, Penn State Outreach and Online Education and APPC are co-hosting a free livestream screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion with Penn State leaders and scholars featured in the film.
The event will take place at 2 p.m. on June 15 and is open to all community members. Register here.
The panel discussion will be co-moderated by Andrea (Ang) Reidell, director of outreach and curriculum for the Annenberg Public Policy Center’s Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics, and Richard D'Von Daily, a Penn State doctoral candidate in U.S. history and African American studies.
Panelists include:
- Justin Schwartz, Penn State executive vice president and provost.
- Daina Ramey Berry, Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts at UC Santa Barbara.
- Cathleen D. Cahill, acting director of the George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center and Walter L. Ferree and Helen P. Ferree Professor in Middle-American History at Penn State.
- Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University.
Held on June 19, Juneteenth celebrates the official end of slavery in the United States. The date is the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when 250,000 enslaved people in Texas finally learned that they were free. Juneteenth was made a federal holiday in 2021.
“Juneteenth celebrates one of our most cherished American ideals: freedom,” said Reidell. “So, one of the key concepts we want people to learn and think about in the film is that aspect of freedom, and what it means for all Americans.”
The film was a project of APPC’s Annenberg Classroom, which provides free online civics resources for teachers.
Karen Armstrong, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for Penn State Outreach and Online Education, said she is excited to partner with APPC to bring a discussion about the historical day to the community.
"American history is so complex, and I appreciate the opportunity to have this important conversation," she said.