Happy Juneteenth from The A.V. Club

While we're taking the day away from the news, we're leaving you with our recommendations of things to watch, read, and reflect upon.

By Drew Gillis | June 19, 2025 | 7:00am

Photo: The Criterion Collection

News News Juneteenth

Today is Juneteenth, which this year marks the 160th anniversary of the day the final enslaved Black Americans were freed in Texas. The A.V. Club is out of office today in observance of the holiday, which finally became federally recognized in 2021. The National Museum Of African American History & Culture, part of the Smithsonian Institution, has a whole host of online resources for anyone who would like to learn more about the day, how it’s historically been celebrated, and books to read to deepen your understanding.

For our part, The A.V. Club has a few other things to read, watch, and listen to this holiday. On the Criterion Channel, check out Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser, which Film Editor Jacob Oller refers to as “[o]ne of America’s great jazz documentaries.” Featuring “89 minutes of music and meandering backstage riffing,” Straight, No Chaser examines one of the most essential musicians in the United States’ history in his own words and work. Matt Schimkowitz also highlights Demon Knight, and how director Ernest Dickerson defied convention and delivered one of horror’s first Black Final Girls. And over in music, writer Kiana Fitzgerald reflects on Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter series, and how it works as “a testament to the importance of building respect, setting boundaries (for peers, fans, labels, and family alike), and admiring one’s own journey.” However you mark the day, we wish you a safe and happy Juneteenth.