Celebrating Juneteenth 2021

This Friday, June 18, 2021, marks the first day when Fairfield University formally recognizes Juneteenth as an official university holiday.  We honor Juneteenth this Friday instead of June 19^th which falls on a Saturday this year.  President Mark R. Nemec sent a Juneteenth Message last year announcing this holiday.  He shared that, “it is my hope that this day will offer an opportunity for us to see that our faith and our commitment to racial justice and reconciliation are inseparable.”

Juneteenth, a holiday recognized by most states, including Connecticut, marks the day in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of the Civil War and slavery, two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Remembering, the first step in radical hospitality, a pillar of our Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Mission Statement, calls us to learn about and reflect on such historical moments that weave together the complex and rich tapestry of our diverse human experience.  We do so to identify clearly inequalities and injustices in the spirit of rectifying them and building a community where all equally belong.

To reflect further on Juneteenth, consider these resources:

An Antiracist Resource Guide: Juneteenth hosted by the DiMenna-Nyselius Library

The Fairfield Slavery Project hosted by the DiMenna-Nyselius Library and Fairfield Museum and History Center

Eyes to See: An Anti-Racism Examen offered by the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities (AJCU)