Special Event

Monday, June 19, is Juneteenth—a federal holiday that recognizes the emancipation of enslaved Africans in America. Juneteenth’s significance originates from enslaved Africans in Texas being alerted of their freedom by Union soldiers on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was announced on January 1, 1863. As a tradition, African American communities in Texas and in other states commemorate this day by hosting ceremonies, parades, barbecues, and preparing traditional meals associated with the holiday.

This year, Juneteenth will be juxtaposed with current defunding and closing of diversity, equity and inclusion offices in states like Florida, Tennessee and Texas. Additionally, the nation is anticipating a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to eliminate race/ethnicity as a factor within the admissions process in higher education institutions. As we honor our ancestors, who have sacrificed so much for us, we are witnessing a strategic movement to strip away the liberties and freedoms that they fought and died for. 

To honor the holiday and place things in perspective, SVA’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office has invited Jelani Cobb to host a virtual discussion, Reclaiming Juneteenth, on Tuesday, June 20, at 3:00pm. Jelani Cobb is the dean of the Columbia Journalism School at Columbia University, as well as its Henry Luce Professor of Journalism, and a staff writer at The New Yorker. To attend, register here.

Jelani Cobb writes on race, history, justice, politics and democracy. He recently co-edited The Matter of Black Lives, a collection of The New Yorker’s most groundbreaking writing on Black history and culture in America, featuring the work of legendary writers like James Baldwin and Toni Morrison. Publishers Weekly writes, “Beyond the stellar prose, what unites these pieces, which range widely in length, tone, and point of view, is James Baldwin’s insight, paraphrased by Jelani Cobb, that ‘the American future is precisely as bright or as dark as our capacity to grapple with [the legacy of racism].’” Cobb also edited and wrote a new introduction for The Essential Kerner Commission Report—a historic study of American racism and police violence originally published in 1967—helping to contextualize it for a new generation. Publishers Weekly called it an “essential resource for understanding what Cobb calls the ‘chronic national predicament’ of racial unrest.”

We look forward to seeing you all.

Jarvis M. Watson, EdD

Director

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion