Juneteenth, Pixar, and the 'My Way' Murders

A beginner's guide to Juneteenth

Juneteenth is an American holiday observed annually on June 19 to mark the emancipation of Black Americans. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, legally ending chattel slavery in the Confederate states, word did not reach enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, until it was delivered June 19, 1865. (Read the original, handwritten General Order delivered that day.)

The holiday began informally in Galveston and spread through the state and, eventually, throughout the country, due in large part to the Great Migration. It also took on different names, including "Emancipation Day," "Freedom Day," and "Jubilee Day."
 

In 1980, Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. In 2021, Congress passed a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. While it faced some resistance in the House of Representatives, it passed unanimously in the Senate, leaving then-President Joe Biden to sign it into law.

... Explore everything else we learned about Juneteenth.

Also, check out ... 

> Why red foods are often served at Juneteenth celebrations. (Read)

> The Mexican village that celebrates Juneteenth. (Read)

> How "Lift Every Voice and Sing" became "the Black national anthem." (Read)

> The formerly enslaved Galveston residents who purchased a plot of land for Juneteenth celebrations. (Watch)

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89% of US Founders Would Do It All Again

The conventional wisdom on entrepreneurship is shifting. Research from Shopify across five markets finds that the vast majority of founders would start their businesses again in 2026. In the US, that number is 89%.

39% of US founders say running a business feels more financially secure than a traditional job—more than double those who say the opposite. In four of five markets, founders also report running a business requires less day-to-day effort than a 9-5 job.

What does it look like in practice? Garrett Gosselin left a career as a sommelier when the pandemic impacted the hospitality industry. He built CRBN Pickleball from a lockdown discovery to eight figures in revenue, then survived an overnight paddle ban that threatened everything. Read the full story on In Stock.

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Pixar, 101

Pixar is a film studio that pioneered computer animation. Through its innovative technology and a disciplined, collaborative approach to storytelling, the studio has become one of the most successful in Hollywood. (Check out a list of Pixar's best movies.)

The team that eventually became Pixar began as academics at New York Institute of Technology before working for Lucasfilm, the studio responsible for "Star Wars," where they built technology that drastically improved the film industry's special effects. Pixar became an independent company in 1986 thanks to funding from Steve Jobs, who had recently left Apple. That year, it released "Luxo Jr.," the first fully computer-generated film to be nominated for an Academy Award. (Watch it here.)

The studio's first full-length feature film, 1995's "Toy Story," kicked off three decades of hit films, with 11 of them earning the Academy Award for best animated feature and two ("Toy Story 3" and "Up") earning nominations for best picture. "Toy Story 5," the latest installment in the series, was released yesterday. (Read a review.)

... Explore everything else we learned about Pixar.

Also, check out ... 

> "Tin Toy," the "Toy Story" predecessor, was the first fully computer-generated film to win an Oscar. (Watch)
> Why Disney initially pushed Pixar to make "Toy Story" edgier. (Watch)

> Behind Pixar's creative "brain trust." (Watch)

> Watch the Pixar logo evolve throughout the company's history. (Watch)

A brief introduction to the Beatles

The Beatles were a 20th-century British band credited with innovating the sound of popular music and, in the process, helping to legitimize rock 'n' roll as an art form.  The intense fandom for the band, called Beatlemania, began in the United Kingdom in 1963 but did not initially translate into success in the United States. Eventually, the band gained traction and then exploded after a 1964 appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." (Watch it here.)

Although the band's recording career spanned a little over seven years, they released an astounding 13 LPs, averaging two a year. Among them were 1965's "Rubber Soul," 1966's "Revolver," and 1967's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," records that were cohesive, fully realized artistic statements, a concept that was still novel for the time.

Throughout the 1960s, the band's American labels released different versions of the band's British albums, sometimes positioning them for an American audience and sometimes repackaging preexisting recordings to capitalize on the band's popularity. The Beatles' 12th American LP, "Yesterday and Today," was originally released on June 15, 1966, and featured a strange, gruesome cover that was swiftly recalled. (Listen to the album here.)

... Explore everything else we learned about The Beatles.

Also, check out ... 

> Paul McCartney said "Helter Skelter" was about a playground slide; Charles Manson said it was about a race war. (Read)

> Explore a reference guide for all 58 famous figures on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." (Read)

> An "SNL" joke nearly inspired a Beatles reunion. (Read)

> The impromptu post-Beatles reunion of John Lennon and McCartney, featuring Stevie Wonder. (Read)

Cultural Context

Beyond our weekly deep dives, we love finding great takes on the culture currently shaping our lives. Here are some of the best reactions, profiles, and think pieces we encountered this week.

> What Happens When 'Star Wars' Replaces Mozart?

NY Times | Sopan Deb. Orchestras performing popular film scores were once rare, but the practice has now become a reliable moneymaker—as well as a way to attract new audience members. Some classical music aficionados, however, believe it degrades the companies' integrity. (Read)

> 'Calvin and Hobbes' and the Price of Integrity

The Republic of Letters | Matthew Morgan. "Calvin and Hobbes," the long-running comic strip about a boy and his imaginary tiger, unexpectedly ended in 1995 after years of contentious disputes between the creator and its distributor. This deeply researched essay explores why the author was intent on absolute artistic control. (Read)

> The Hospital Turned Gallery

Colossal | Grace Ebert. Los Angeles' St. Vincent Medical Center has been vacant since 2020, but it's set to reopen in 2028. For the next few weeks, though, it'll be the staging ground for 70 artists whose work will be installed across 80 rooms. It's a wild reimagining—and a mind-bending visual trip. (Read)

> Why Your Next Great Meal Might Be at a Gas Station

WSJ | Adam Chandler. As sales of nicotine and alcohol have declined, roadside convenience stores have pivoted to made-to-order food. Chandler breaks down how high-quality items can be found at chains like Buc-ee's and Fuel City, but after growing up in New Jersey, I'm partial to Wawa. Send me an email if you want my go-to order. (Read)

> Three Times the Movies Changed Us Forever

Projections | Sean Fennessey. The Ringer's resident movie nerd is geeking out over the year's blockbuster energy, noting that projects from veterans and fresh-faced newcomers are driving people, especially younger people, back to the theater. (Read)

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A $500 Table for Eating Takeout on the Couch

Jamie McKillop wanted to create a stylish version of the TV tray tables she used growing up. Lazy Jamie launched three years later, and her signature product earned a Best in Show nod from Architectural Digest. On In Stock, she explains the decisions behind bringing it to market—including why she publishes her margins publicly. 

Read her story and subscribe to In Stock for more.

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Best of the Week

We curate hundreds of resources into 1440 Topics each week. Here are some of our favorites from the world of society and culture.

> The NBA season may be over, but you can still try your hand at creating the ultimate team.

> David Hockney was renowned throughout the late 20th century for his colorful paintings, though later in life he drew attention for experimenting with his iPad.

> Musician Gladys Bentley defied taboos during the Harlem Renaissance.

> Behold: the Hodag, the Midwestern myth created by a notorious con man.

> Between 2002 and 2012, at least 12 people were killed in the Philippines in incidents related to off-key karaoke singing of Frank Sinatra's "My Way."

> Sidearm pitchers are a rarity in modern baseball, giving them a supreme advantage.

> Iceberg lettuce's striking appearance and durability turned it into a valuable crop.

> Why a "Super Mario Bros." video game cartridge sold for $3M at auction.

> Charles Dickens legally separated from his wife, then tried to have her committed to a mental asylum. (Thanks to Jean M. for the tip!)

> What World Cup athletes' tattoos might be saying.