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 – students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends alike – has prioritized this commitment in myriad ways, including through the Racial Justice Initiative 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 “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” by our own Garland Nelson ’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:
 
“Juneteenth 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 ‘Day of Jubilee.’”
 
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: The Hamilton Hill Arts Center’s 22nd Annual Celebration in Central Park and Vale Cemetery, Schenectady, various times
• Saturday, June 18: Albany’s 18th celebration coordinated by the African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region at 135 S. Pearl St., Albany, various times. Salutation to be delivered by Linda Jackson-Chalmers '73.
• Sunday, June 19: Opera Saratoga and Proctors: A Juneteenth Celebration with Sidney Outlaw, Schenectady, 2:30 p.m.
• Sunday, June 19: CNN to air Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom Concert featuring Jhené 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:  Frederick Allen Lodge Juneteenth Celebration, Saratoga Springs, 1-2:30 p.m.