UMB Commemorates Juneteenth with Week of Events

June 08, 2021 UMB Office of Communications and Public Affairs

Juneteenth with Emancipation Proclamation

A Juneteenth Jubilee will be held at the Community Engagement Center on June 16.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. It was on June 19, 1865, that Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were free — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) will observe Juneteenth as a holiday and grant administrative leave to its employees. Because Juneteenth falls on a Saturday this year, it will be observed on Friday, June 18.

This year, UMB will commemorate the 156th year of Juneteenth by having four days of events:

Monday, June 14 from 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Black History...Continued!

Discussion on Black history post-enslavement and the strides that were made to obtain full physical and financial autonomy. Featuring Chanel Compton, MA, executive director of the Banneker-Douglass Museum, Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture; Terri Freeman, executive director of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum; and Earl W. Stafford, MBA, founder of The Stafford Foundation, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Moderated by Seantè A. Hatcher, LCSW-C, associate dean for continuing professional education, University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW).

Tuesday, June 15 from 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: The Black Diasporic Experience: Are We All Seeking Collective Liberation?

Panelists with familial ancestry across the African diaspora will share historical experiences of emancipation from chattel slavery and a vision for collective liberation. With Nana Brantuo, MEd, educator, researcher, and writer; Mercedes Hightower, MSW, LCSW-C, coordinator for hate crimes and bias incidents, Towson University, and adjunct faculty, UMSSW; and Shay Collins, MSW, MA, director of institutional equity and community engagement, Brown University. Moderated by Neijma Celestine-Donnor, MSW, LCSW-C, assistant dean for diversity and equity, UMSSW.

Wednesday, June 16 from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.: Juneteenth Jubilee: Community Celebration at the UMB Community Engagement Center (CEC), 16 S. Poppleton St. Featuring music, food, and giveaways (while supplies last).

Thursday, June 17 from 2 p.m.-4 p.m.: Black Joy House Party. Move from virtual room to virtual room in this casual house party designed to emphasize Black joy through music, trivia, and social connection.

The events are being organized by Danielle Harris, LCSW-C, associate director, CEC; Chrishna Williams, MS, director of alumni relations, UMSSW; Seanté Hatcher, LCSW-C, associate dean for continuing professional education, UMSSW; Neijma Celestine-Donnor, MSW, LCSW-C, assistant dean for diversity and equity, UMSSW; and Courtney J. Jones Carney, MBA, executive director, Intercultural Leadership & Engagement, and director, Intercultural Center.