Celebrating Juneteenth Exhibition
Celebrating “Freedom Day” 2026: A Virtual Juneteenth Exhibit with NHD Massachusetts
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) celebrates the date in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state, declaring that according to the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, all enslaved people in Texas are free. Since then, Juneteenth celebrations have honored our country’s second Independence Day and recognized the ongoing fight for human rights and equality.
Though it has long been celebrated among African American communities, Juneteenth is a part of history that has long been largely unknown to the wider public. In 2020, Juneteenth was declared a state holiday in Massachusetts, and the following year was recognized as a federal holiday.
The Massachusetts Historical Society began an annual NHD Massachusetts Juneteenth exhibition in 2020 with three goals: to promote an understanding of and engagement with the Juneteenth holiday; to highlight select NHD student projects whose work explores topics related to African American history, culture, achievement, and freedom; and to spread awareness of these often-marginalized historical narratives. This year's NHD projects approached history through the theme of "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History."
The Massachusetts Historical Society invites you to explore this original and extraordinary student work from the 2026 NHD Massachusetts competition season.
2026 National History Day in Massachusetts Projects
One of the most valuable aspects of NHD is that students have the opportunity to interpret evidence and draw their own conclusions. Therefore, the interpretations and opinions expressed in these projects are the work of the students and are not necessarily shared by the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Documentaries
James Meredith and the Integration of the University of Mississippi: An Educational RevolutionGrady Mangrum
Ottoson Middle (Arlington MA)
Grade 8
"On October 2, 1962, James Meredith became the first African American to enroll at the University of Mississippi. His actions reformed the University, granting access for all people of the next generation to the best education in the state. Many people from the Oxford area and beyond convened on the University’s campus to protest the integration of an institution that had withstood desegregation for so long, eventually rioting. The newly inaugurated President John F. Kennedy reacted to this riot in the way James Meredith had hoped: he showed his support by sending federal marshals to defend Meredith from the rioters, ensuring the successful culmination of an educational revolution in Mississippi."
Process Paper and Bibliography
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Constructing the New Identity: The Revolution of Culture and Reaction to Political LimitationsSherine Li, Molly Wang
Cushing Academy (Ashburnham MA)
Grade 11
"History often remembers the Harlem Renaissance as a golden age of jazz and poetry. It was also a sophisticated survival strategy aimed at redefining Black identity, shattering stereotypes and establishing Black intellectual equality. Although the Harlem Renaissance was not able to overcome the hard power of political limitations, it's efforts created a new defiant collective identity which formed the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement, defining the attitude that would one day force the law into existence."
Process Paper and Bibliography
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Beyond the Changes: John Coltrane's Jazz RevolutionNoah Anderson-LaPorte
Bedford High (Bedford MA)
Grade 11
"Through innovation, intensity, and spiritual vision, John Coltrane revolutionized and reformed the sound and meaning of jazz, leaving a legacy that still defines modern music."
Process Paper and Bibliography
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The Brixton Riots: From Reaction to ReformSophia Tramontozzi
Lynnfield High (Lynnfield MA)
Grade 11
"Be transported to Brixton, South London, in April 1981, when violent unrest erupted across the city. Contrary to popular belief, these riots were not spontaneous acts of violence, but rather a reaction to years of aggressive policing, systemic racial discrimination, and economic hardship faced by many Black citizens. The uprising quickly captured national attention, forcing reforms in policing and reshaping public awareness of racial inequality within Britain."
Process Paper and Bibliography
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Website
Blowin' the Revolution: How Louis Armstrong's Jazz Transformed America Through Innovation, Reaction, and ReformIsabella Li
Lexington High (Lexington MA)
Grade 11
"Between 1922 and 1971, Louis Armstrong revolutionized jazz music through innovative techniques like scat singing and the jazz solo form, transforming it from not just a collective performance but one that also highlights individual expression. During the Jim Crow era, his reaction to segregation--through integrated bands, venue boycotts, and public criticism--challenged racial barriers. He accepted the responsibility of fame, knowing his actions could influence public opinion and policy. His success reformed global perceptions of African American artistry, demonstrating how one artist's exercise of creative rights and social responsibility could reshape cultural understanding and advance civil rights."
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Unsung Heroines of the Montgomery Bus Boycott: The Stepping Stones of a RevolutionLily Hoar
Wilbraham and Monson Academy (Wilbraham MA)
Grade 7
"There are many unsung heroines that supported and developed the Montgomery Bus Boycott, whose impacts are as important as the people we learn about. They were the stepping stones whose varying skills allowed others to start a revolution, but the reaction from others was to forget them and their contributions. However, because of these unsung heroines' support, the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement were both able to bring reform to America."
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Papers
A Literary Revolution: How Afro-American Writing Impacted the Civil Rights MovementAnanya Dandekar
Montrose School (Medfield MA)
Grade 8
"Authors within the Civil Rights Movement moved individuals due to their influence through literature, creating a domino effect that swayed the greater minds of today. The effects of these authors carried through generations, leading African-Americans across the United States in a continuation of their forefathers' peaceful revolution. Literature from and concerning that era fueled this movement, and continues to be essential to the development of fair laws and practices across the globe. The writers in the 1940s to the 1970s were essential to the peaceful revolt, as they began a literary revolution and used novels to tell their stories, leaving entire generations inspired and ready to fight for change and rights."
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