Dear Eastern Community,
Today, we celebrate Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. While President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863, the news took time to travel. It was not until June 19, 1865 that the Union army brought word of the proclamation to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, making them among the last to be freed. Signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021, Juneteenth is America’s newest federal holiday and is also referred to as Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, or Black 4th of July.
As we commemorate Juneteenth this year, let us do so with both celebration and sober reflection. This date is a strong reminder of the resilience of a people, but also a call to persevere and do what is right. In his First Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln noted: “The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely, they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
As a community, emboldened by Faith, Reason, and Justice, we must continue to be touched by “the better angels of our nature.” Given the complexity of global and national social and political climates, Juneteenth calls us to exercise our freedom and call for liberty and justice for all. Today, let us join with our African American brothers and sisters in celebrating Juneteenth.
Wishing you and your family a happy Juneteenth!
Shalom! Shalom!
Randolph Walters, Psy.D, LPC, CCTP, CSAM
Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity, and Belonging
Professor, Counseling Psychology Department