20 Songs That Are Juneteenth Approved

Juneteenth is a joyous celebration for American members of the African diaspora.

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Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June and 19, is a holiday that commemorates the day that enslaved peoples in Galveston, Texas were officially notified that they were freed. Although Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all enslaved people in January 1863, slaves in Gavelston, Texas weren't aware of this information until Union soldiers informed them of it on June 19, 1865.

The spirit of Juneteenth varies from person to person, so I wanted to create a music list that has a little bit of everything. So no matter how you celebrate the holiday, there's something here for you. Here are 20 tracks that should be in your Juneteenth playlist!

1.James Brown, "Say it Loud: I'm Black and I'm Proud"

2.Kendrick Lamar, "Alright"

3.Sister Sledge, "We Are Family"

4.Solange Knowles, "Don't Touch My Hair"

5.Beyoncé, "Already"

6.Ciara, "Melanin"

7.Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing"

8.Angie Stone, "Brother"

9.India.Arie, "Brown Skin"

10.Queen Latifah, "U.N.I.T.Y"

11.Stevie Wonder, "Black Man"

12.Nina Simone, "To Be Young, Gifted and Black"

13.Tupac, "Keep Ya Head Up"

14.Kenrick Lamar ft. SZA, "All The Stars"

15.Beyoncé, "Black Parade"

16.Mickey Guyton, "Black Like Me"

17.KIRBY, "Superpower"

18.Beyoncé, "Formation"

19.Chronixx, "Black is Beautiful"

20.Boris Gardiner, "Every N-word is a Star"

Make sure you head here for more of our Juneteenth coverage!