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June 18, 2021
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 | Juneteenth Flag On June 19, 1865-two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation-the last group of enslaved people in Texas learned of their freedom. The United States now celebrates the anniversary of the liberation of Black Americans every year on Juneteenth. The first flag that represented the holiday was created in 1997 by Ben Haith, the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF). Three years later, artist Lisa Jeanne Graf "fine tuned" the original version, resulting in the flag we see today. Every element of the flag signifies an important part of the holiday. Instead of a straight line dividing the two colors, they are separated by an arc. This shape is meant to resemble a horizon, symbolizing a hopeful future for Black Americans. The smaller, white star in the middle is a nod to the Lone Star State-the state where the last enslaved people were emancipated-as well as the freedom of Black Americans in all 50 states. The starburst surrounding it is meant to be a nova, or new star, symbolizing new beginnings. The colors are also significant. By mirroring the red-white-and-blue colors found in the U.S. flag, the banner emphasizes that enslaved Black people were Americans and so are their descendants. Celebrate Juneteenth and check out these recommendations |
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 | Books on the Air An overview of talked-about books and authors. This weekly update, published every Friday, provides descriptions of recent TV and radio appearances by authors and their recently released books. See the hot titles from the media this week. |
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 | Joshua Henkin Joshua Henkin is the author of the novels Matrimony, a New York Times Notable Book, and Swimming Across the Hudson, a Los Angeles Times Notable Book and The World Without You, winner of the 2012 Edward Lewis Wallant Award for Jewish American Fiction and a Finalist for the 2012 National Jewish Book Award. His short stories have been published widely, cited for distinction in Best American Short Stories, and broadcast on NPR's "Selected Shorts." His fourth novel is Morningside Heights (June 2021). He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, two daughters, and their gigantic Newfoundland puppy, and directs the MFA program in Fiction Writing at Brooklyn College. Check out his books here. |
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 | Library Reads July Library Reads-The top ten books published this month that library staff across the country love, with additional hall of fame authors. Check them out here |
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| Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.-Frederick Douglass
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