Juneteenth Hibiscus Ginger Iced Tea Recipe: A Drink of Remembrance

Martha Yates Jones and Pinkie Yates in a flower-adorned buggy, Juneteenth 1908, outside Antioch Baptist Church, Houston, Texas. Photo courtesy of the Reverend Jack Yates Family and Antioch Baptist Church Collection, of the African American History Research Center, Houston Public Library.

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, bringing news of the Emancipation Proclamation issued over two years prior. The delay meant that thousands of enslaved Black people remained in bondage long after they were declared free. This profound disconnect reminds us that the path to liberation has always been uneven and that the work of freedom is ongoing.

Musicians on a float perform with traditional African instruments during the 2018 Juneteenth Parade in Center City, Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Bastiaan Slabbers/iStock via Getty Images.

The news of emancipation came too late for many, but the strength and resourcefulness of the enslaved persisted. While sometimes given medical care to preserve their labor value, they were often denied adequate or humane treatment. In response, they turned to the land, transforming herbs into powerful remedies — sassafras tea was brewed for detoxification, poultices of plantain and yarrow were used to treat wounds, and elderberries were simmered into syrups to fight colds and flu.¹

These healing practices were more than survival; they were acts of cultural preservation and quiet defiance in the face of unimaginable hardship.

Food, too, became a way to hold onto cultural traditions, transforming kitchen scraps, foraged, and garden-grown ingredients into dishes infused with flavor and symbolism. Alongside native plants, seeds smuggled from Africa — like hibiscus and okra — carried ancestral traditions from the homeland.²

Over time, red foods became central to Juneteenth celebrations, representing the bloodshed of ancestors and the tenacious spirit of a people who refused to be erased. Hibiscus tea served warm or cold, with its deep crimson hue, remains a staple drink at Juneteenth gatherings, a reminder of connections to African roots.

Emancipation Day gathering on E. Main Street, Richmond, VA, c. 1888. An Abraham Lincoln banner hangs above the store entrance. Photo courtesy of Cook Photograph Collection, The Valentine.

Leighdy Morris, Queen of the RBG Brigade (left), raises a fist as she marches over Market Street during the 2018 Juneteenth Parade in Center City, Philadelphia. Photo courtesy of Bastiaan Slabbers/iStock via Getty Images.

Today, as efforts to erase and rewrite history persist, honoring Juneteenth becomes even more vital. In celebration, we can reclaim the truth and carry forward painful legacies that demand remembrance.

For more resources on commemorating Juneteenth, visit the NMAAHC Juneteenth Digital Toolkit.

For a deeper dive into the vital role of Black herbalism throughout history, explore our three-part series on African American Herbalism by ethnobiologist Marc Williams:

African American Herbalism Part I
Medicinal Resilience: African Plant Knowledge Through Bondage and Beyond

African American Herbalism Part II
North American Black Herbalism

African American Herbalism Part III
Resources & Further Learning

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