What My Juneteenth Looks Like
There is no one way to commemorate June 19, 1865, the day enslaved Africans in Galveston, Texas, finally found out that freedom was real (two years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation)—but for me, Juneteenth is a holiday of vivid routines and kaleidoscopic feasting. It’s a day for honoring the past while carving out new memories. A day for sipping cocktails, walking barefoot in the grass, and gobbling down summertime fare with family and friends. Here are my holiday must-haves.
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Photo by Dan Krusen-Chen1/10Flower Power
Juneteenth isn’t the time for moody blooms—it’s all about vivid dahlias, gomphrena, and brunia. LaParis Phillips, owner of Brooklyn Blooms, understands tradition, tone, and color stories. Go for a custom arrangement and be surprised with one of the shop's stunning second-hand vases.
Photo by Stefen Pompee, courtesy Lorraine West2/10Go for Gold
“Bury me in gold, bury me in gold. Just in case I’m forsaken, and I have to pay for my soul,” preaches Meridian, Mississippi, rapper Big K.R.I.T. His lyrics sway between gold watches, sweet potatoes, spirituality, and Afrofuturistic joy. I get my gold with designer Lorraine West's brass earrings, a must-have adornment for special occasions and everyday pleasure.
- 3/10
Cool Off
This is the year we stop shaming our families for buying trendy kitchen gadgets and let them have fun. This Snow Cone Maker crushes ice into fluffy crystals you can douse in DIY fruit syrups. My favorite combo is sugar, tarragon, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Add a bit of gin or vodka for the grown-ups.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown4/10Taste the Rainbow
All the recipes in The Last O.G. Cookbook, inspired by the hit TV sitcom of the same name, are written by yours truly, so I can vouch that the Sweet and Spicy Mango Slaw is perfect for the cookout. (So can Tracy Morgan’s character, Tray Barker, who takes it to a basketball game in a plastic bag for his son.) Chef Tray’s hilarious adventures becoming a chef and reconnecting with his kids are as comforting as the Caribbean and American Southern dishes mentioned on the show.
5/10Joy on a Platter
Sheila Bridges is a pioneer and the fairy godmother of designing and showcasing how Black families live. She pays homage to Black leisure with this melamine Harlem Toile de Jouy Platter in collaboration with Glitterville Studios. Illustrations depict modern Juneteenth scenes: women resting, men exercising, and couples dancing.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown6/10Get Thee a Red Drink
A Red Drink is a classic Juneteenth libation, whether it’s tropical punch Kool-Aid, strawberry soda, or this savory-sweet hibiscus and vermouth cocktail from Shyretha Sheats, half of the husband-and-wife duo behind beloved Athens, Georgia, pop-up The Plate Sale.
Photo Courtesy BLK MKT Vintage7/10Must Love Ephemera
Juneteenth is a great time to add Black curiosities to your home, and BLK MKT Vintage is the place to find them. From Yo! MTV Raps trading cards to 1970s Jet back issues with Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor on the cover, there’s no shortage of wares dedicated to Black decadence—and excellence.
8/10Brightest Seasoning
Whether you’re a novice or a pro home cook, understand what your tribe loves. Switch out your mayo-based potato salad with smoked russet wedges finished with Uncle Nitty’s Lemon Pepper, or keep things ultra familiar with lemon pepper chicken wings—a pop culture conversation starter. Remember FX’s Atlanta, episode 2?
9/10Mother Nature's Finest
Juneteenth gatherings go beyond BBQ ribs and fiery red smoked sausages. Start your holiday shopping at the local farmers market (I love the Fort Greene Park Greenmarket when I’m in Brooklyn and Georgia’s Athens Farmers Market when I’m down south) and pick up all the essential summer fruits: raspberries, blackberries, cantaloupes, and honeydews.
Gett Images / IlexImage10/10Time Outside
Be it a mountain hiking adventure with friends, a stroll along stately urban streetways, or an alfresco picnic lunch, our national parks remind us that liberation starts within. So grab a Passport to Your National Parks and pick your own path. In Boston the Black Heritage Trail that winds through Beacon Hill is where the ghosts of freedom dwell.