Use the Broward County Library as an Educational Resource for Juneteenth

In celebration of Juneteenth - also known as "Freedom Day" - the Florida Panthers would like to encourage fans throughout South Florida to take time out of their day to learn about African American Culture by virtually accessing educational resources from Broward County Libraries.
Juneteenth -- a combination of "June" and "nineteenth" -- is an annual holiday observed around the United States that celebrates the end of slavery. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, news didn't reach Galveston, Texas until June 19, 1865.

While all public libraries are currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, online resources are still available to read, watch, learn and listen. Through the Broward County Library, anyone with a Broward zip code can access these assets to better understand the ongoing movement.
By utilizing the vast resources listed below, fans looking for introspection and education can do everything from taking a virtual visit to the local African-American Research Library and Cultural Center to watching the film Soul on Ice, which examines black contributions to hockey history.

GET A LIBRARY CARD

A world of educational books, videos, music and more awaits! Click HERE to apply for a Broward County Library card online.

EXPLORE RESOURCES FROM YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

Click HERE for Broward County's Latest Newsletter.
Curbside is available.

Adult Literature

| Juneteenth: a novel | Fiction | Link to novel | | --- | --- | --- | | Juneteenth! Celebrating freedom in Texas | Biography | Link to biography | | Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom | Reference Book | Link to book | | The strange career of William Ellis: the Texas slave who became a Mexican millionaire | Biography | Link to biography | | Black nature: four centuries of African American nature poetry | American poetry | Link to book | | The homeplace: poems | Poetry | Link to book |

Juvenile Literature

| Let's celebrate Emancipation Day & Juneteenth | Juvenile literature | Link to book | | --- | --- | --- | | Juneteenth | Juvenile literature | Link to book | | The history of Juneteenth | Juvenile literature | Link to book | | Juneteenth for Mazie | Juvenile fiction | Link to book | | All different now: Juneteenth, the first day of freedom | Juvenile fiction | Link to book | | Freedom's gifts: a Juneteenth story | Juvenile fiction | Link to book | | Juneteenth Jamboree | Juvenile fiction | Link to book | | Come Juneteenth | Young Adult Fiction | Link to book |

THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN RESEARCH LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTER

The African-American Research Library and Cultural Center is a 60,000 square-foot public library and holds an auditorium, exhibit area, dance studio, seminar room and much more.
The library boasts special collections of over 85,000 items, including rare books, artifacts, artwork, reference material and more on Black history and culture with most being written by Black authors.
For those who enjoy reading, this library has the Jack Abramowitz Collection which details the history of African-Americans in the southern U.S. during the slavery and reconstruction eras.
The Dorothy Porter Wesley Collection provides the community with more than 2,000 books on the history of early African-American families, women and gender studies and black social organizations. For those interested in an oral history lesson, the Trailblazers of Broward County Inc, provide oral histories that document the lives of Black pioneers in Broward County.
The library has even provided a virtual archive and tour for people to look through their exhibit. Anyone can browse ancient artifacts including African carvings, figurines and more by clicking HERE.
As we aim to educate ourselves, the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center serves as the Panthers partner and resource for all fans and county residents. For more information on Juneteenth, please visit their website HERE.
To download the Broward County Library mobile application click HERE.

WATCH SOUL ON ICE

Soul on Ice, released in 2015, is a film exploring the immense contributions of black athletes in ice hockey. At the heart of the film is Jaden Lindo, a Brampton, Ontario native who shares his journey from an aspiring black hockey player to eventual draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Throughout the movie, Lindo's ups and downs are mirrored by the incredible stories of many other black hockey players, coaches and their families that paved the way for him, dating all the way back to the creation of the colored hockey league in Nova Scotia during the late 1800s.
A radio announcer in Edmonton for more than a decade, Kwame Mason said he was inspired to make Soul on Ice -- despite having no prior film credits -- after befriending local hockey players like Georges Laraque, who was one of the NHL's few black players during his 12-year career.
"In the back of my head I was just like, 'I wish I could see more black athletes playing the game of hockey,'" Mason said of the film. "Growing up in Canada, we know and love the game and we still had that history of not seeing a lot of black athletes playing… I just used my resources, and I used my creativity and my love for the game of hockey to put this documentary together."
Click HERE to learn how to watch.