Juneteenth has been celebrated since 1865, but the holiday is still largely unknown to many Americans.
To explain what the holiday is about, we need to refer back to the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued on September 22, 1862 and made effective on January 1, 1863, but it did not end slavery in the United States for two reasons: First, the language was limited and excluded many states and areas; and second, it relied upon enforcement.
A more concrete end to slavery occurred more than two years later, in April 1865, when the Confederacy surrendered to the Union. Then, on June 19 of that year, Union Major General Gordon Granger read General Order 3 to the people of Galveston, Texas:
“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 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
Celebrations broke out amongst newly freed African Americans, and June 19th was thereafter known as “Juneteenth” or “Black Independence Day.” Juneteenth represents a celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States as well as a celebration of the achievements and perseverance of African Americans. It is important to note that General Order 3 occurred prior to the ratification of the 13th amendment and did not completely end slavery even in Texas.
Juneteenth is now officially recognized in 46 of 50 states. It’s even celebrated in areas of northern Mexico, where enslaved people escaped to prior to the end of slavery in the U.S.
Juneteenth is a meaningful holiday that highlights the African American experience. As a student affairs professional, you can celebrate Juneteenth by thinking about who you can involve, how you can collaborate and engage with students and coworkers, and how you can celebrate it — on campus and beyond.
Juneteenth is a celebration of the vast African American experience. Many campuses have faculty and staff with knowledge and expertise of the African American experience with respect to history, political science, economics, art, dance, music, sociology, religion, and more.
You could also invite African American alumni to talk about their experiences at your institution and to take part in the celebration. That personal experience and connection is essential.
Additionally, seek out individuals in your community for knowledge and a personal, localized experience. There are likely many people in your community who’ve experienced struggles and triumphs that will resonate with students.
You can start by searching for a local affiliate of the Urban League, Black Chamber of Commerce, Association of African American Museums, NAACP, or other prominent African American organizations. You can also seek out help from local chapters of historical African American sororities and fraternities, as well as churches and social justice organizations.
Because Juneteenth involves so many topics related to African American history, celebrating it is a great opportunity for cross-campus collaborations.
Partnering with faculty allows you to emphasize learning outside of the classroom and further your commitment to celebrating diversity. Faculty can lead programs that highlight the importance of the African American experience in their fields of study while building rapport and working on ways to engage with students.
Additionally, faculty can use this celebration as an opportunity for reflection and to evaluate their courses. It is important that faculty take an intersectional approach to their teaching that incorporates race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and other aspects of identity.
Juneteenth celebrations can also be used as a recruitment tool by working with your institution’s admissions team and the local community. Invite African American high school students to your institution to learn about and celebrate Juneteenth while also giving them an opportunity to meet with current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members.
Juneteenth celebrations can be used to engage students in person or online. Because Juneteenth occurs in the summer, your programming will depend upon your student demographics. If you have a significant number of students on campus, you can work with them to create in-person programming for Juneteenth.
Online programming allows you to keep students engaged no matter where they are. You can create programming utilizing the voices and ideas of people who might not be able to appear in person. This is especially helpful right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and can even be great once students return to campus — if you have limited funds and can’t afford to provide travel or lodging to guests.
Juneteenth is for everyone, and there are numerous ways that student affairs professionals can engage with incoming students, current students, alumni, and the community.
Some ways that you can celebrate Juneteenth include:
Juneteenth is the oldest known U.S. holiday celebrating the end of slavery, and while it is acknowledged at most state levels, it is still not widely known among the general public.
As student affairs professionals, we have an opportunity to celebrate Juneteenth and make sure that our campuses understand that the African American experience is a crucial part of the entire American experience.
Do you plan to celebrate Juneteenth? We’d love to hear about your programming ideas! Tweet us at @themoderncampus and @MarceliusB.