Celebrating Juneteenth
Inclusive Community
June 19, 2020
Today, the University of Central Oklahoma recognizes and encourages our community to celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. This holiday began in 1865, more than two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. News spread much slower back then, and when slaves in Texas finally learned of their freedom, the holiday was born.
Learn more about the significance of Juneteenth through these resources:
- PBS – “African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross“
- NBC – “What to Know About Juneteenth, the Emancipation Holiday”
- Smithsonian Magazine – “Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day“
- TIME Magazine – “A Brief History of Juneteenth”