UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Campus and community members will be provided the opportunity to celebrate Juneteenth National Independence Day and learn more about the holiday with several events and resources. Beginning this year, Penn State will officially observe Juneteenth — June 19 — as a University holiday.
What began as a celebration of the end of slavery in Texas, Juneteenth — an amalgamation of the words "June" and "nineteenth" — has become a holiday commemorating the emancipation of slavery throughout the United States. Also called Jubilation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth refers to the Monday in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that Union soldiers arrived in Galvaston, Texas, and announced the liberation of America’s more than 3 million enslaved people.
In 2019, Pennsylvania recognized June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day, and in June 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law an act designating June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday.
Juneteenth 2023: 'Threading the Fabric of Freedom,' Block Party and Art Exhibit
On June 16-17, the State College NAACP, the Borough of State College, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, and The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau will host a Juneteenth Celebration with the theme of "Threading the Fabric of Freedom."
Visit the State College NAACP Facebook page for more information or to participate as a vendor or volunteer.
Art Exhibit — 5-8 p.m., June 16
Festivities begin with the second annual Juneteenth Exhibition, to take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 16, at the Woskob Family Gallery, located at 146 S. Allen St. in downtown State College. The exhibition, titled "Freedom, Unity, Equity and Peace," will feature two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, photography and crafts focusing on freedom, unity, equity and peace.
Block Party — noon-5 p.m., June 17
On June 17, the annual Juneteenth Celebration, a block-style party to commemorate the liberation of the last enslaved people in Texas in 1865 — two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation — will be hosted by the State College NAACP, the Penn State Center for Performing Arts, and the MLK Plaza Committee.
Beginning at noon, the event will be held in the 100 block of South Fraser Street in downtown State College and will showcase live performances by a wide range of musicians, poets, dancers and more. The block party also will feature food trucks, an array of Black vendors, and fun activities throughout the day for kids and adults.
Libraries marks Juneteenth with resources for African American culture, history
Penn State University Libraries has compiled a listing of resources, including books, articles, films, artifacts and exhibits that uplift those voices — throughout history and today — who promote the work of dismantling racism, with the intention of providing educational resources and continued dialogue.
Annenberg Classroom documentary — 'Juneteenth: Exploring Freedom Stories'
On Thursday, June 15, at 2 p.m., Penn State Outreach and Online Education hosted a livestream and panel discussion of the Annenberg Classroom's documentary "Juneteenth: Exploring Freedom Stories."
The documentary is available to view at the Annenberg Classroom's website.
About the film: What is the story of Juneteenth? Why do we celebrate this newly designated federal holiday, and how is it connected to one of the most cherished American ideals: freedom? This film explores the history of Juneteenth and illustrates how and why freedom and citizenship were intertwined, as well as how the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution changed and expanded the definition of citizenship and the rights of all American citizens.
A panel discussion followed the livestream. Panelists included:
- Moderators Andrea "Ang" Reidell, director of Outreach and Curriculum, Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania; and Richard D'Von Daily, doctoral candidate, U.S. History and African American Studies, Penn State.
- Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History, Columbia University.
- Daina Ramey Berry, Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts, University of California Santa Barbara.
- Justin Schwartz, executive vice president and provost, Penn State.
- Cathleen D. Cahill, acting director, George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center, Walter L. Ferree and Helen P. Ferree Professor in Middle-American History, Penn State.