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Dear Skidmore Community, 

‌‌I write to remind you that Skidmore will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, in recognition of Juneteenth as an official College holiday. 

‌On this day, we honor Juneteenth as a day of celebration, while reflecting on the dark history of slavery and its lasting impact on America’s present. We also reaffirm our commitment to making Skidmore's campus a place where everyone is empowered to learn, grow, and pursue their passions. 

‌At Skidmore, we continue to prioritize ensuring that the tenets of freedom and equality flourish across campus and remain invested in our Racial Justice Initiative, In It series, and other campus programming that supports these all-important principles. Please see below for a message from Joshua Woodfork about upcoming events, resources, and opportunities open to all. 

‌As with last year, I invite you to revisit Garland Nelson ’96's rendition of “." Written by James Weldon Johnson in 1900, the song continues to hold relevance as a call for freedom and hope. 

‌Wishing you a holiday full of joy and reflection,

‌Marc C. Conner 

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Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students, 

‌‌As we anticipate the holiday later this week, I am excited to share information about hosted by the Tang Teaching Museum on Saturday, June 22. 

‌Skidmore’s Juneteenth celebration will run from noon until 3 p.m., and will feature family-friendly fun with arts and crafts, storytelling for children, and live performances. The event will also include goods from vendors of regional Black-owned businesses, and books will be available to check out from Skidmore’s Lucy Scribner Library. 

‌‌For a full schedule of events, please visit the . Thanks to the Tang for hosting and to Assistant Professor of International Affairs Rachel Cantave for leading Skidmore’s Juneteenth celebration.

I would also like to take a moment to remind everyone of the racial equity resources available to employees. As part of Skidmore’s leadership role in Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA), all Skidmore employees have access to free resources from their . 

You are welcome to — webinars, publications, lesson plans, and much more — available to all employees interested in pursuing Racial Equity work this summer. Any questions about the programs can be sent to our Equity Connect liaison, Dr. Esmeralda Hernandez-Hamed. 

‌In addition to Skidmore programming, our neighbors at the Frederick Allen Lodge are hosting events this week that are free and open to the public. ‌&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

‌S¾±²Ô³¦±ð°ù±ð±ô²â,&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

‌‌Joshua C. Woodfork 

‌Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity