Re: Juneteenth

To: All campus

June 14, 2024

Dear Campus Community,

Next Wednesday we will have a mid-week holiday, and we would be remiss to spend the holiday without recognizing the great significance of the day. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, commemorates the day when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas on June 19, 1865 — nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation — and announced that the more than 250,000 still enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree.

In 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation that Juneteenth was to be observed as a national holiday – the first legislated national holiday since Martin Luther King Day was recognized and legislated in 1983. By declaring Juneteenth a holiday, the President affirmed the strength and fortitude of African Americans throughout history and honored the end of slavery as a day to be acknowledged and celebrated.

Let us reaffirm our commitment to social justice, equality, and inclusivity in our community – within our campus, our neighborhoods, and our larger reach. On Juneteenth, take a moment to remember and honor the past with a continued passion for a future that encompasses freedom, justice, and equality for all.

Fiat Lux,

Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Ph.D.

Chancellor