NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jasen Lee, University of Utah Marketing & Communications, 801-949-3530 jasen.lee@utah.edu
The U Celebrates Juneteenth: “And Still We Rise”
May 21, 2024 (Salt Lake City) – On Wednesday, June 19, 2024, the University of Utah will commemorate Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal and state holiday celebrated annually to mark the notification of emancipation to enslaved people in southern Texas. The name is a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth,” for it was on June 19, 1865, when Union Army Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to pronounce the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Themed “And Still We Rise,” the U’s Juneteenth Program will begin with a flag-raising ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in the lobby of the Park Building at the top of Presidents Circle. Following a brief welcome, Dr. Sidni L. Shorter , executive director and chief executive office of the Utah Black Chamber of Commerce will offer the keynote address.
In addition, the program will include an ancestral toast by Robert Burch, executive director at Sema Hadithi African American Heritage and Culture Foundation; an explanation of the Juneteenth flag symbols and their significance by NAACP Salt Lake Branch President Jeanetta Williams; followed by a musical performance by mezzo-soprano Cynthia Harris.
“In 2022, Utah became the 10th state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. The importance of cultural celebrations is to ensure all populations are afforded the opportunities to remember the struggles and triumphs that are shared among each other,” said U of U Associate Vice President Emma E. Houston. “The University of Utah joins the state and nation in recognizing the significant contributions made by African Americans and acknowledges our Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony as a symbol of unity and community.
The final activity will be the ceremonial flag-raising in Presidents Circle. The public is invited to attend this free event. Additionally, the public is invited to participate in a related program, Authorship & the Black Experience in Utah: A Juneteenth Workshop, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at the J. Willard Marriott Library. Find details and registration information by clicking here.
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University of Utah Marketing & Communications
201 Presidents Circle, Room 306, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9017
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