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Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle

    

    Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem was written by Sojourner Kincaid Rolle and illustrated by Alex Bostic. It contains one poem and an author’s note. On June 19, 1865, the news finally made it to Galveston, Texas that those who were enslaved were finally free. The poem describes how the enslaved celebrated their newfound freedom. Some fled, some stayed, some celebrated, and some prayed and praised God. The poem uses different text and colors for parts of the poem that are quoted from another source or paraphrased from the Emancipation Proclamation. The poem is written in free verse and includes rhyming. Kincade uses adjectives describing the feelings of African Americans to create an emotional impact.

    The poem connects to African Americans and others' racism towards them. The author's note by Kincade describes how she became connected to the celebration of Juneteenth. She also describes how her poem has been connected to events such as the murder of George Floyd. Students who are of African American descent can connect to the themes of the poem. Those who are not joining a glimpse into the experience African Americans faced then and now.

    The poem is consistent throughout. The illustrations incorporate emotional impact in showing what is being described on the page. The emotions of the people are clearly shown on their faces. The words are typical of the past and may need to be explained if prompted. The flow of the words is inviting and will keep the attention of the audience. This book would be a great addition to a history lesson surrounding the civil war, Juneteenth, and the civil rights movement.

    This poem would be a great addition to a Black History month or Juneteenth-specific storytime. I would use this poem specifically as a storytime book. I would introduce the poem by talking about how our history has moments where we were divided, and some white people treated those different from themselves horribly. However, some people decided that it was wrong, and the United States was at war this poem talks about the very end of the war. However, we still fight battles to this day. I would also use other books that incorporate an anti-racism theme in the storytime. For the activity, I would make the Juneteenth flag. I would make a “sticky” wall by using contact paper and tracing out the pattern of the Juneteenth flag. Then the children would use torn pieces of tissue paper to cover the sicky paper and create the flag. I would also consider doing a coloring page using the same flag. 


“Every year in the Lone Star State, and
in towns from sea to sea,
sons and daughters of the ones who were held
-telling the stories that their families passed down-
celebrate the day their forebears could shout
‘FREE AT LAST!
HALLELUJA, I’M FREE!’” (Rolle and Bostic 2022)

Rolle, Sojourner Kincaid, and Alex Bostic. 2022. Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem. Union Square Kids.


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