As a Black Southerner growing up back and forth between Louisiana and Texas, Juneteenth, aka Jubilation Day, was a big part of my life. Juneteenth, or June 19, marks the day in 1865 when Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, commonly known as the Juneteenth Order, which liberated 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas — two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
As a Texas-Louisiana Bama, it was common to celebrate Jubilation Day with family by cooking traditional dishes like BBQ, fried green tomatoes, black-eyed peas, greens, and okra, gathering to hear stories from our elders as they discussed the importance of our freedom and true independence. But the one tradition I had with my late grandmother, Shirley, was topping off the festivities with a Black film or TV special. It was our way of connecting and communicating and opening up my world to our people’s histories; to this day, it’s how I end my Juneteenth.
Here are four TV and film recommendations that depict the ideals and spirit of Juneteenth. Grab your hibiscus tea and fried green tomatoes, and click play.
Miss Juneteenth
No Juneteenth is complete without Miss Juneteenth. The film follows Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie), a former beauty queen and single mother working hard to make ends meet as she prepares her reluctant teenage daughter Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) for the local Miss Juneteenth pageant. Miss Juneteenth provides a glimpse into Black Texans’ lives, showing what simply existing is for us. Much like the holiday, the film is about finding that thing to hope for and celebrate; a future of possibilities to choose one’s own path. It’s an easy watch that grounds us in appreciation for our roots and the beauty of Black southernness on screen.
Where to Watch: Prime
High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America
You can’t have Jubilation Day without the traditional dishes and foods inspired by our African roots, and Netflix’s High on the Hog has you covered. In the docuseries, food writer Stephen Satterfield traces the origins of Black American cuisine, from Africa to Texas. In episode four, Satterfield visits the Lone Star State to dive into the history of Juneteenth and the dishes that define freedom and independence for Black Texans. The entire series is for anyone who loves food and culture by analyzing the history that led to how these recipes made their way to being staples in American cuisine.
Where to Watch: Netflix
Hidden Figures
The 2017 film follows the true story of three brilliant Black women at 1960s NASA — Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), who helped launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The film shines a light on the hidden history of the West Computers program at NASA’s Langley Research Center, which used Black women mathematicians and engineers to calculate aeronautical equations.
Much like Juneteenth, Hidden Figures shows that even if history isn’t widely known, that doesn’t mean it never happened or holds significance. In a world where Black people and our history are pushed aside and minimized, it’s essential to hold on to the experiences of those before.
Where to Watch: Disney+
Watchmen (2019)
The allegory style of comic book media is genuinely unique, breathing new life and meaning into some of the most iconic characters and stories, especially in the HBO original limited series Watchmen. Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the superhero noire takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 34 years after the original story. When a white supremacist attack on the local police department leaves only two surviving cops on the beat, laws allow cops to hide their identities behind masks. One of these cops, Angela Abar (Regina King), adopts the identity of Sister Night and fights racists while dealing with the decades-long legacy of the vigilantes. Throughout the series, we see how the new story connects to the original Watchmen and how race affects a world with super-powered individuals as they navigate morality and life-or-death situations against the backdrop of the historical sight of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. It’s a layered educational yet entertaining spin that flips Watchmen on its head.
Where to Watch: Max