Southern Utah University Celebrates Juneteenth

Southern Utah University has several events set up to celebrate Juneteenth. 

In a nutshell, Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, but in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, African Americans would not be free until June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. You can find out more about the history of Juneteenth at the link here. 

Southern Utah University celebrations start tomorrow with a presentation on Toni Morrison's Beloved by Derek Livingston from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.  

Other celebrations include a Juneteenth Jubilee on June 16 on the Upper Quad from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and a Juneteenth Gallery Talk on June 19th at the Southern Utah Museum of Art from 4 pm to 5 pm.

The Juneteenth Gallery Talk will be led by Assistant Director, of Curatorial Affairs, Dr. Becky Bloom. Dr. Bloom will take visitors on a tour of the exhibition A Dream Deferred: New Perspectives on Black Experience in the Work of Aisha Lehmann and Vitus Shell, which will highlight themes relevant to the history and celebration of Juneteenth.

Today through the 19th you can also visit the Sherratt Library’s display of books relating to Juneteenth and the African American experience. 

You can take a look at the calendar of events for Juneteenth at the link here.