Honoring Juneteenth

June 19 marks a pivotal day in American history. While President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, many enslaved African Americans lived in states where slavery continued or where they did not know they were freed. On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger read aloud federal orders in Galveston, Texas, advising that, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”

Also known as “Freedom Day,” “Emancipation Day” or “Jubilee,” Juneteenth is one of our nation’s oldest celebrations of the abolition of slavery. Juneteenth is a celebration of the freedom, culture, and empowerment of African Americans and it speaks to their strength, resilience, and unwavering commitment of liberty and justice.

We invite our Pacific College community to take the opportunity to learn more about Juneteenth and explore the history and meaning of this federal holiday. To learn more about Juneteenth, visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

We encourage everyone at Pacific College to take time to reflect on our nation’s history and consider how our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion can help unite our diverse community to explore and find solutions to end systemic racism.

Kindly,

The Pacific College Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee

Check out the EDI Committee webpage