Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to participate in two events to commemorate Juneteenth this year—a special keynote lecture and a celebratory event.
The keynote lecture will take place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, in Dartmouth Hall 105.
Tricia Rose, Chancellor's Professor of Africana Studies and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America at Brown University, will deliver the keynote. Rose is the author of Metaracism: How Systemic Racism Devastates Black Lives—and How We Break Free, and her lecture will highlight the significant impacts of systemic racism on Black Americans and explore strategies for creating a more just and equitable society for all.
The first 50 participants to sign in at the keynote lecture will receive a signed copy of Rose's book
A celebratory event will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, at 1 Clement Road in Hanover. Attendees with a valid Dartmouth ID will have the chance to enjoy complimentary offerings from food vendors at the gathering, available on a first-come, first-served basis and while supplies last. To assist with planning, pre-registration is strongly encouraged.
June 19, known as Juneteenth, marks the historic day in 1865 when enslaved individuals in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom—two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Nearly 2,000 Union troops delivered the news to the remaining 250,000 enslaved people. Texas has recognized Juneteenth as a statewide holiday since 1980, and Juneteenth is now celebrated nationally as a symbol of the end of slavery in the United States.
In June 2021, President Biden's signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act officially solidified the date as a federal holiday.
"As more people learn about, and come to appreciate, the significance of Juneteenth, I'm hopeful that celebrating the day will become an annual tradition on campus," says Senior Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer Shontay Delalue.
There are separate registration links for both the keynote lecture and the celebratory event. Both are free and open to the Dartmouth community.
For more information, email Institutional Diversity and Equity.