Recognize and celebrate Juneteenth on your campus and in your community

Our association strives to make positive change within higher education and foster a genuine sense of belonging among its diverse community of members. This month, we recognize and show respect to the 157th anniversary of June 19, 1865 (also known as “Juneteenth”), the date of delayed liberation for the last enslaved people within the United States of America who were specifically located in Galveston, TX.

Can you imagine information that can change your life from slavery to freedom being kept from you 30 months after executive orders to free enslaved people were issued? This was a reality for the enslaved people in Galveston. To presumably make matters more confusing, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to announce that slavery was over but encouraged Black people to remain with their former enslavers to work for a wage.

So, why should we celebrate Juneteenth? Ultimately, Juneteenth symbolizes the joy of freedom within the Black community and represents a start to new opportunities within our country. It serves as a reminder of our responsibility to intentionally observe Black achievement, excellence, and resilience with the people around us. Unequivocally, all U.S. citizens will continue to benefit from the wealth that Black people built within our country through more than two centuries of enslavement. Juneteenth allows us to acknowledge that debt as well as reflect on our past, our present, and our future as a people. Therefore, we should honor the many meaningful action steps being taken to commemorate the belated emancipation of enslaved Black people within the United States.

NIRSA’s Black Community Caucus invites everyone to celebrate the meaning of Juneteenth and its impact throughout the rest of the month.

There are several ways that you can celebrate Juneteenth with us. Please consider:

• Participating in Juneteenth events and celebrations on your campus and within your community
• Engaging in educational opportunities with loved ones to learn more about Juneteenth
  • Read articles and books
  • Watch documentaries
• Visiting your nearest museums, exhibits, and centers that are dedicated to African American history and culture
• Navigating the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute’s website with the goal of being informed
• Supporting Black-owned businesses
• Walking, running, jogging, biking, swimming, rowing, exercising, etc. for 2.5 miles each day from June 19 until June 30 in honor of the 2.5 years that it took for the official word of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach enslaved people in Galveston, TX
  • Record and share on social media platforms (and be sure to tag @nirsalive)
• Donating to organizations and charities that are committed to supporting the Black community
• Connecting with members of NIRSA’s Black Community Caucus

June 2022 marks the second year that Juneteenth is recognized as a federal holiday in the U.S. However, this year is the 42nd annual celebration of Juneteenth within Texas, the first state to formally establish Juneteenth as a holiday.

NIRSA’s HBCU roots

As an association that was founded by Dr. William Wasson and 19 other Black men and women from 11 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), we are compelled to reflect on our rich NIRSA history and how we got started.

In fact, NIRSA founders Ross E. Townes, Viggo Wallace, Juanita G. Pierce, Dimples Lee, and Grant S. Gray were all associated with HBCUs in Texas when NIRSA was launched on February 22, 1950. Therefore, consider this: NIRSA would not have been founded in its original form or exist with its current foundation without both the Emancipation Proclamation being signed in 1863 which freed enslaved people within America and the momentous announcement of this executive decree on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, TX. Simply put, Juneteenth is important, historical, and it matters.

Black Community Caucus summer connections

NIRSA’s Black Community Caucus is a part of the association’s commitment to engaging in conversation and organizing action. Conversations—which embrace vulnerability and authenticity—are intended to be a space for the Black community to come together. We’ll be connecting June 22, July 27, and August 24.

Did you know?

The first HBCU in the south, Shaw University in Raleigh, NC was founded in 1865. However, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania—the United States’ first HBCU—was founded in 1837, almost 30 years prior to Juneteenth.