Colleges are increasingly observing June 19, the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Interest in the holiday has recently spiked in the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
For Kendall Vining, a black student at Rice University, and her family, Juneteenth has usually been a quiet, private and even “solemn” remembrance of the day in 1865 when the end of the Civil War and slavery was announced to black people in Texas.
Vining said she and her family knew what June 19 meant, but they also understood not many others did. But this year feels different; Vining said there’s a “refreshing” acknowledgment of Juneteenth on a national level and growing recognition by nonblack people of its historical significance.
“It was always something that wasn’t very well recognized and known about,” said Vining, who lives in Louisiana. “We didn’t assume that people knew about this. To see so many people, not just starting up events and lectures … but even seeing special ‘40 percent off’ Juneteenth sales, I’m not used to that.”
Colleges across the country, some for the first time, are engaging with their students, faculty and staff about Juneteenth in a variety of ways, including launching awareness and education campaigns or community programs and giving employees the day off.