On Sunday, churchgoers will celebrate Juneteenth during their worship services. Members of the clergy reflect on the role of the church and the holiday marking the notification of the end of slavery.

Here on Code Switch, we love food just as much as we love history. So we couldn't let the Juneteenth pass by without getting into the culinary traditions that have been passed down for generations.

The federal holiday will primarily affect government offices and buildings.

Friday on Political Rewind: On a special Juneteenth episode our panel examines the history of the holiday and what it means for our democracy. Plus, as legislation restricts how race is taught in schools, what does that mean for future generations?
 

To mark the holiday, Gorman reads "Fury and Faith," a poem from Call Us What We Carry. She says her collection's title reflects how "we all can be vessels of both hurt and hope at the same time."

Brands and companies are working to remove their Juneteenth items from shelves, as experts say those who are selling Juneteenth-branded products are "tone-deaf."

Now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday it has gone mainstream. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on June 19th 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, enslaved Africans in Texas were finally freed under the terms of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. But for those that think the holiday is just a time for African Americans to celebrate, think again. Juneteenth has meaning for white folks too.

Although almost every state recognizes Juneteenth in some fashion, many have been slow to do more than issue a proclamation or resolution.

Before St. Simons Island became a quaint beach town, it was a major port of entry for enslaved Africans. In 1803, some of the enslaved rebelled. Now, a new roadside historic marker will tell the story of that rebellion at a spot which you may have passed by without ever really seeing.

Juneteenth events are happening across the country, honoring the 156th anniversary of what is often considered the end of slavery in the United States.

Lincoln Center observes Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, with "I Dream a Dream That Dreams Back at Me," an ambulatory experience conceived by Carl Hancock Rux.

There is a growing discontent in the African American community with symbolic gestures that are presented as progress without any accompanying economic or structural change.

Chef Chris Williams from the Houston restaurant Lucille's talks about how he started the restaurant, the nonprofit that grew from it, and his mixed feelings about Juneteenth.

To mark Juneteenth, NPR staff members read the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth — the celebration to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States — is now a federal holiday.

"We can all finally celebrate. The whole country together," says Opal Lee, 94, who has been working for years to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.