Dickinson Celebrates Juneteenth

The following message went to the community on June 15, 2022:

Subject: Juneteenth Celebration

To the Dickinson community,

This weekend, our nation will celebrate Juneteenth, a day that marks the end of slavery in this country. Juneteenth falls on Sunday, June 19, and we will recognize it as a campus holiday on Monday, June 20, which is also a federal holiday. While Abraham Lincoln’s 1862 Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in the United States, it took until June 19, 1865, for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, to be freed. This is an important holiday, one that recognizes the resilience of the African American community, but one that reminds us to reflect on the stain of slavery in our country’s history and the ongoing work that needs to be done to create racial equity.

The library has developed a research guide and the Trout Gallery has an 1863 Harpers Weeklyprint commemorating emancipation on its website. I hope all of you will take time to review these materials. Please also consider attending the Hope Station Juneteenth celebration which will be held on Saturday, June 18. 

Juneteenth is one day, but the work of building an inclusive community is something each one of us must commit to every day. We must act to create a more respectful campus where all members feel they have a voice and belong. This celebration reminds us that we have much more work to do.

Sincerely,

John E. Jones III ’77, P’11
President