Dear Members of the Campus Community,
The University of Puget Sound will observe Juneteenth as a campus holiday on Monday, June 20, 2022. The path to recognizing Juneteenth has been a long one. As Mary Elliott, Curator of American Slavery at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, has noted, Juneteenth is vital as it calls us to remember what African Americans and our nation have come through. It is a rally call for everyone to think about the meaning of freedom.
The United States declared its Independence Day as July 4, 1776, marking the start of our country as separate from the rule of Great Britain. However, this independence did not apply equally when it came to the freedom of all Americans. It was not until nearly a century after our first Independence Day that the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 declared all enslaved persons in the Confederate States “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” But news of the Emancipation Proclamation took time to spread across the country, and did not reach Galveston, Texas until June 19, 1865 through the Union Army. June 19 became known as Juneteenth, signifying the last enslaved African Americans becoming freed in Texas.
Over a century later, in 1979, Texas became the first state to officially commemorate Juneteenth. The Washington State Legislature, prompted by a bill sponsored by Rep. Melanie Morgan of Parkland, recognized Juneteenth as a day of remembrance beginning in 2007, with state-wide recognition as a holiday starting this year. The United States government recognized Juneteenth as an official federal holiday in 2021, which is the first new federal holiday since Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.
To understand as well as uplift the impact and influence of Juneteenth, we encourage you to learn and participate in events tied to this historical day.
“What Juneteenth Means to Me: A Community Conversation with University of Puget Sound Trustee Lyle Quasim ’70, Hon.’05 and Assistant Director of Access Programs Tolu Taiwo”
Tuesday, June 21, noon to 1 p.m., in Murray Boardroom
The Office for Institutional Equity & Diversity will host a conversation with Puget Sound Trustee Lyle Quasim ’70, Hon.’05, and Assistant Director of Access Programs Tolu Taiwo to discuss the history and impact of Juneteenth on our country, city, and campus. Please feel free to bring your lunch to the event. Desserts will be provided courtesy of Love by the Slice Baking & Catering, an African American-owned business here in Tacoma.
Learning About Juneteenth
https://juneteenth.com/
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth
Juneteenth Holiday
Federal holiday: https://www.govinfo.gov/features/juneteenth
Washington State holiday: https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-wa-state-wire-juneteenth-lifestyle-holidays-4807e9615a26d9213453fa6e06ea8b10
Tacoma holiday: https://www.cityoftacoma.org/in_the_news/cityoftacomatoobservejuneteenthin2022
Black Business Market Juneteenth Celebration
Sunday, June 19, at The Waterfront Market at Ruston, noon to 8 p.m.
https://www.waterfrontmarketatruston.com/event/black-business-market-juneteenth-celebration/
Supporting Pierce County/Tacoma's Black-owned businesses
https://thetacomaurbanleague.org/blog/f/black-business-directory
https://dinepiercecounty.com/2020/05/31/supporting-black-owned-businesses-in-pierce-county-a-group-project/
There is notable work ahead of us, but I thank each of you for the important and necessary efforts that are underway across departments and divisions of the university to raise awareness of how our culture is shaped by racism, particularly anti-Black racism, and to create a more welcoming and inclusive campus community. As we commemorate Juneteenth, we are empowered to build upon the good, hard work of the past and to reaffirm our commitment to achieve true and enduring change in our world.
Sincerely,
Isiaah
Isiaah Crawford, Ph.D. | President