College of Arts and Sciences

Sunday, June 19 is Juneteenth National Independence Day. As you probably know, this holiday marks the day—June 19, 1865—when people who had been enslaved in Texas learned that they were free. Celebrations of this day began in Texas in 1866 and became common in African American communities in the South in the twentieth century. Congress passed legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday in June 2021, and President Joe Biden signed the legislation on June 17, 2021. The federal holiday was first celebrated last year. This year, the University will recognize the observance of the holiday by closing on Monday, June 20, 2022.

I can vividly recall the establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the 1980s. Until that time, U.S. national holidays and celebrations did not explicitly recognize the history or experiences of African Americans. Instead, the nation’s holidays honored veterans, U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces, George Washington, and Christopher Columbus. The King holiday honored one great leader and acknowledged the historical importance of the African American freedom struggle that reached its culmination in the mass protests of the 1950s and 1960s.

The Juneteenth holiday, though, is different. It is the first national holiday to explicitly acknowledge the monumental injustice that lies at the center of our nation’s history—the enslavement of millions of people of African ancestry. By celebrating Juneteenth, we accept that slavery shaped the United States. In this horrible institution, Black adults and children were exploited and abused, families were separated, movement and expression were severely restricted, and lives were cut short. The labor of enslaved people and the sale of Black people enriched many white people, who amassed fortunes that they left to their descendants and to many institutions, such as colleges and universities.

By celebrating Juneteenth, however, we are not simply recognizing the horrors of slavery. We are also paying tribute to the resilience of the millions of people who endured slavery. Emancipation itself is a testament to the brutality of slavery, but it also draws our attention to the fact that enslaved people refused to be broken by their inhumane treatment. Over the 250 years of slavery in what is now the United States, enslaved people refused to accept the belief that they were inferior to the people who claimed the right to own other human beings. Enslaved people resisted dehumanization in many ways. Some broke tools and resisted attempts to force them to work at the pace dictated by plantation owners and managers. Some learned to read. Some fled plantations to escape slavery or participated in armed uprisings. Following emancipation, many people left the land on which they had been forced to labor in an effort to reunite with their parents, siblings, and children. Freedpeople attended schools so that they could learn to read and write. During Reconstruction, free Black people enthusiastically engaged in politics. They voted, sought elected office, won elections, and served their constituents. The resilience and perseverance of African Americans was demonstrated again after Reconstruction, when they endured racial oppression while continuing to work for their freedom and for justice.

On this day, I ask each of you to reflect on the meaning of this day. Think about the cruelty of slavery and the horrible toll it exacted from people who were enslaved. Think also about the long shadows cast by slavery. We continue to confront the history of white supremacy in the United States. Please, however, do not simply dwell on the country’s ugly history of racism and injustice. Take some time to share the joy of emancipation, gratitude for the resilience of African Americans, and the beauty of the music, dance, visual art, and literature that Black Americans have shared with everyone. I hope that Juneteenth inspires us all to accept and celebrate our differences and work together to build a more equitable and inclusive society.

Kevin Leonard
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences