Honoring Juneteenth Through Therapeutic Art: A Space for Healing, Reflection, and Unity

First, let me begin by acknowledging that this post is arriving later than I intended. Life, emotions, and responsibilities sometimes delay even the most meaningful intentions. But perhaps that’s a lesson in itself—healing, reflection, and growth don’t always happen on time. They happen when we’re ready, when we’re open, and when the moment speaks to our spirit. With that in mind, I invite you into this sacred reflection on Juneteenth through the lens of therapeutic art.

Sooo...what is Juneteenth???

Juneteenth, observed every year on June 19th, marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a day of liberation, remembrance, resilience, and resistance. But it is also a day of joy, creativity, and cultural pride. Juneteenth is not just African American history—it’s American history. And it holds something for all of us, no matter where we come

For those of us navigating trauma, especially collective or intergenerational trauma, art becomes more than creativity—it becomes survival. It becomes voice, protest, prayer, and restoration.

Therapeutic art gives us a channel to release what words can’t hold. For African Americans, Juneteenth is a reminder of how far we’ve come and how deep our roots of resistance and creativity run. For allies and communities of other backgrounds, it’s an opportunity to witness, learn, honor, and stand in solidarity.

When we create together—through paint, poetry, movement, or music—we begin to bridge the very divides we inherited.

So what now???

Welp! I'm glad you asked. Here are some ways to Celebrate Juneteenth Through Art (No Matter Your Background)

Create a Freedom Collage: Gather images, words, and symbols that represent freedom, resistance, and joy. Use old magazines, newspapers, or digital platforms to craft a visual story of liberation—past, present, and future.

Host a Collective Canvas: Invite your community, coworkers, family, or friends to contribute a piece to a communal art board. Each person adds their mark—colors, shapes, words—to reflect what freedom means to them.

Write Letters to the Ancestors: Use guided journaling or poetic expression to write a letter to those who came before us. Honor their strength. Thank them for the sacrifices they made. Speak to them as you would a trusted elder or friend.

Paint in Protest and in Praise: Paint or draw what healing looks like for your community. What do justice, peace, and collective care look like? Allow your emotions to lead your brush or pencil.

Curate a Juneteenth Healing Playlist: Sound is medicine. Create a playlist filled with freedom songs, spirituals, soul, hip hop, jazz, or any music that lifts the spirit and tells a story of survival and pride.

A Note from My Heart to Yours

I may be late posting this blog, but the truth and power of Juneteenth are never confined to one day. It lives in our art, in our storytelling, in our rest, and in our resistance. As a therapeutic art coach and healer, I believe we are all connected by our capacity to feel, to hurt, to hope—and most importantly—to create.

To my Black community: I see you. I honor our joy and the pain our art carries.

To allies and kindreds of all cultures and walks of life: Juneteenth is an invitation. Not to take space, but to hold space—for truth, for justice, and for collective healing.

Let us continue the work of liberation with our hearts wide open and our brushes steady.

With this, I AM am curious: What does freedom look like to you?

Draw it. Write it. Sing it. Dance it.

Share it. Or keep it sacred. Reflect, share or not...it's up to you.

Happy Juneteenth—today and always.

With love,

🖤 Nü Moon