Commemorating Juneteenth

Dear Members of the CUNY SPS Community:

This Monday, June 19, CUNY will close in observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.

The story of Juneteenth serves to remind us that, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. first said and as President Obama so often repeated, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Enslaved Africans lived under brutal conditions for more than 250 years before the Civil War brought an end to the evil of slavery. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation, it took two years for Union soldiers to reach Galveston, Texas—and to bring the good news of freedom to the enslaved people living there. It took a further 150 years for Juneteenth to enter the national consciousness, and it’s only been in the last three years—amid calls for a more honest reckoning with our nation’s history and the dual legacies of slavery and racism—that our country has begun to formally honor this second independence day.

As you make your plans to celebrate Juneteenth, I am very excited to invite you all to an event organized by the CUNY SPS MA in Applied Theatre (MAAT) program that weekend.

On the evening of June 19, MAAT will host the final event of the program’s 2023 Racial Justice Conference series, “Call and Response: 2 Poets Having Very Black Conversation thru Spoken Word.”

H. “Herukhuti” Sharif Williams, who teaches in the MAAT program, will join fellow poet Rajnii Eddins to share their work and the experiences that inspired them in the tradition of the griot. Learn more and purchase tickets here.

Additionally, I would like to share this informative list of Juneteenth resources, compiled by the CUNY SPS Committee on Institutional Equity and Diversity (CIED):

Juneteenth History

• Juneteenth: What You Need to Know | History - Marcia Chatelain, Professor of History and African American Studies at Georgetown University, talks about the history of Juneteenth and common misconceptions.

• National Museum of African American History and Culture (Smithsonian)

• The White House Proclamation - Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday

• New-York Historical Society - Juneteenth Legacy of Frederick Douglas (video)

• New-York Historical Society – In-person, family-friendly event Living History: Celebrate Juneteenth explores the origins of the celebration, how it has changed over time, and the many local traditions connected with the holiday (free with museum admission).

Around CUNY

• The Importance of Juneteenth in Higher Education - Recorded discussion between Ted Widmer, professor and historian at Macaulay Honors College, and Dara N. Byrne, associate provost and dean at John Jay College, in 2021

• Bronx Community College - Historic information, links to resources, and videos on why we celebrate Juneteenth and its importance.

Around NYC

• NYC Parks - Events throughout the city, including a Soul of Food: A Juneteenth Jubilee, and guided parks tours with the Urban Park Rangers

• NY Public Library Juneteenth Storytimes - Videos of kid’s stories being read

I urge you all to take some time over the long weekend to read, watch, and attend the CUNY SPS MAAT event—which promises to be an inspiring and powerful experience—as well as other Juneteenth celebrations near and far.

All the Best,

Jorge Silva-Puras

Interim Dean, CUNY School of Professional Studies