Celebrating Juneteenth
Dear Skidmore Community,
As I shared in April, beginning this year and moving forward, Skidmore will recognize
Juneteenth as an official College holiday. While the holiday is officially celebrated
annually on June 19, the College will recognize it this year on Monday, June 20, and
will be closed.
Last year, we marked the occasion with reflections on how we must be more committed
than ever to realizing the goals of a free, just, and equal society for all. A year
later, I am pleased to share that our community 鈥� students, faculty, staff, alumni,
parents, and friends alike 鈥� has prioritized this commitment in myriad ways, including
through the and the official opening of Wyckoff Center as we continue to make progress on important
areas of focus through work that is always ongoing and evolving.
As I did in 2021, I again invite you to listen to this moving rendition of by our own Garland Nelson 鈥�96 and to reflect on the words of Winston Grady-Willis,
professor and director of the Black Studies Program, who offered the following history
about Juneteenth:
鈥淛uneteenth marks the commemoration of the symbolic end of chattel slavery in the
United States. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863;
however, it was not until June 19, 1865, when U.S. Army troops arrived on the island
of Galveston, Texas, that enslaved Africans there had been informed of the document.
Although chattel slavery did not formally end until ratification of the 13th Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865, the June date brought cultural significance
as the 鈥楧ay of Jubilee.鈥欌��
A list of local and regional Juneteenth events and celebrations happening this weekend
is included below for those interested in attending or participating.
Juneteenth is more than a moment of crucial historical experience for all Americans.
It is also a moral imperative, a call to strive toward the freedom and equality that
our founding documents promise and that American history has so frequently failed
to uphold. We have the opportunity and the warrant to work toward an ever more just
and equitable society, and our recognition of the jubilee of Juneteenth points us
toward this fundamental duty.
Wishing everyone a Happy Juneteenth,
Marc Conner
President
JUNETEENTH EVENTS
- Friday, June 17, and Saturday, June 18: in Central Park and Vale Cemetery, Schenectady, various times
- Saturday, June 18: at 135 S. Pearl St., Albany, various times. Salutation to be delivered by Linda Jackson-Chalmers '73.
- Sunday, June 19: , Schenectady, 2:30 p.m.
- Sunday, June 19: CNN to air featuring Jhen茅 Aiko, Khalid, Questlove, Mickey Guyton, and other Black artists, virtual, 8 p.m.
- Monday, June 20: Saratoga BLM 2nd Annual Juneteenth Event, Orenda Pavilion, Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs, 2 p.m.
- Monday, June 20: , Saratoga Springs, 1-2:30 p.m.