Reflect Upon Juneteenth by Remembering the True Stories of Former Slaves and Abolitionists

Since 2021, the United States has recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Americans and people around the globe are still learning about the newest addition to the nation's official calendar.

Its history dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union troops rode into Galveston, Texas, and announced that all slaves were free as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation. The order went into effect in 1863, but it was not fully enforced across the nation until Union troops arrived in remote areas of Texas, which was the last state to abide by the proclamation. The newly freed Texans called the day Juneteenth.

To highlight the long history of the day and its deep significance, we have compiled a list of films and miniseries about people who fought against the tyranny of slavery. Remember their stories as you reflect upon the meaning of the day.

Joseph Cinqué – "Amistad" (1997)

In late June of 1839, the Spanish slave ship La Amistad departed Havana en route to sugar plantations in central Cuba. The schooner did not reach its intended destination, as a few days later the four dozen shackled men on board escaped their chains and took over the ship. The revolt was led by Sengbe Pieh, who later became known as Joseph Cinqué.

Cinqué and the other men attempted to force the ship's surviving crew members to return them to Mendeland (present-day Sierra Leone), where they had been abducted several months earlier by slave catchers. The crew instead sailed north, and they were captured by U.S. authorities off the coast of Long Island. They were then imprisoned and put on trial in the case United States v. The Amistad.

While the two Spaniards who purchased the men asserted that they were their property and should be returned to them, the men and their attorneys argued that they were free Africans who had been abducted and illegally sold into slavery. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court in 1841, where former President John Quincy Adams defended them. They won their freedom, and abolitionists raised funds so they could return to Africa.

Steven Spielberg shared their inspiring story in the critically acclaimed historical drama "Amistad," starring Djimon Hounsou as Cinqué and Matthew McConaughey as Roger Sherman Baldwin, the lawyer defending the abducted Africans. Anthony Hopkins earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Adams. The film also includes powerful performances by Morgan Freeman and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Solomon Northup – "12 Years a Slave" (2013)

Solomon Northup was born in upstate New York in 1807. As the son of a freed slave and a free woman of color, he was born a free man. By 1841 he had become a respected violinist, a landowner and farmer, a husband, and a father to three children. But everything changed that year when he took a traveling musician's job in Washington, D.C.

Slavery was still legal in the nation's capital at that time, and his traveling companions drugged him then sold him to a local slave trader. He was shipped to New Orleans where he was purchased and forced to work on a Louisiana plantation for over a decade.

In 1853 Northup met an abolitionist who wrote to his family and friends in New York detailing his plight. His family pleaded with the governor to intercede so he could regain his freedom. Once freed, Northup returned to New York and penned the memoir "Twelve Years a Slave," which was adapted into the award-winning film starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, directed by Steve McQueen. Northup spent his later years speaking on behalf of the abolitionist movement, encouraging Americans to rally against the institution of slavery by sharing his story.

Harriet Tubman – "Harriet" (2019)

Harriet Tubman's story is one of the more well-known slave narratives. But even if you are already familiar with her escape from slavery and involvement with the Underground Railroad, it is another thing to see it all brought to life on screen.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Cynthia Erivo, "Harriet" follows Araminta "Minty" Ross (later known as Harriet Tubman after adopting her mother's first name and husband's last) as she escapes the Maryland plantation where she was born, takes a perilous journey north to Philadelphia, then returns south numerous times to rescue her family members and other slaves.

Leslie Odom Jr. co-stars as William Still, a conductor on the Underground Railroad and chairman of The Vigilant Association of Philadelphia. Throughout his life, Still helped more than 600 slaves escape to freedom. Janelle Monáe portrays a fictional free woman who owns a boarding house in Philadelphia and befriends Tubman.

The film earned Erivo her first Oscar nominations; she garnered a nod for Best Actress as well as Best Song for "Stand Up," which she performed and co-wrote.

John Brown – "The Good Lord Bird" (2020)

Abolitionist John Brown is well-known for inciting a slave rebellion in Harpers Ferry, Virginia (current-day West Virginia) a few years before the start of the Civil War. But many know little else about the deeply religious man whose actions played a major role in the lead-up to the war.

While most abolitionists employed peaceful methods in their fight to end slavery, Brown took a more confrontational stance. A few years before the infamous raid at Harpers Ferry, Brown took part in Bleeding Kansas, a series of conflicts fought as the territory of Kansas was deciding whether to join the Union as a slave state or a free one.

In October 1859, Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry with the intention of arming slaves so they could fight back against their captors. The raid failed, and he was tried for treason, murder, and inciting a slave insurrection. After being found guilty of all charges, Brown was executed.

"The Good Lord Bird" is based on James McBride's novel of the same name, which tells Brown's story from the point of view of a fictional slave. The Showtime miniseries garnered numerous accolades, and Ethan Hawke earned rave reviews for his portrayal of Brown.