Saint Mary’s Observes Juneteenth Together
Dear Saint Mary’s Community,
Saint Mary’s joins with our Black students, faculty, staff, and all members of our community to honor Juneteenth, a national holiday held annually on June 19, to recognize and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. The U.S. took another step forward this week (June 15), as the Senate unanimously approved a bill to make Juneteenth a public holiday. We stand together as a college and nation to observe this historic day, which is a significant part of Black history and our nation’s history. The College Committee on Inclusive Excellence (CCIE) posted a message about Juneteenth that pays homage to Miss Opal Lee, the 94-year-old activist who worked tirelessly to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Read about her here.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery. Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with a General Order stating that the war had ended and that slaves were now free. This event occurred two and a half years AFTER President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Nearly 250,000 Black people in Texas remained enslaved for an additional two years. The General Order stated: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
At Saint Mary’s, the continuous work to move the pendulum of responsibility and accountability forward has resulted in powerful but necessary and often uncomfortable conversations about racism, equity, and social justice concerns within our community.
Saint Mary’s is committed to the Lasallian core principles of respect for all persons, an inclusive community, and social justice. As we celebrate Juneteenth, let us remember this pivotal moment in history, and the opportunity we have to stand united under the banner of freedom, liberation, equality, and justice for all.
Sincerely,
Margaret Kasimatis
Interim Executive Vice President