JUNE 19

2020

Dear PCA&D Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, & Friends,

Today both the State of Pennsylvania and our nation formally observe Juneteenth, which celebrates African American freedom and commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. Long celebrated in the African American community through family, religious, and community events focused on Black freedom, culture, and progress, June 19th commemorates the day in which the last enslaved African Americans in Texas learned in 1865 (i.e., two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1,1863) of the abolition of chattel slavery and their freedom from bondage.

While Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery, this year’s celebration comes at a particularly poignant moment. We are now in a time of deep reckoning as we grapple locally and nationally with addressing systemic racism, inequity, and injustice that remain from the legacy in the United States and globally of violence and intimidation directed toward Black people and the history of slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow era, and other forms of anti-Black racism.

In honor of Juneteenth’s message of liberation from oppression and in recognition of the larger moment in which we are in, this is a time of action. I am spending today in learning and reflection, and invite you to take time as well to engage in the many free events and educational experiences, attend a Juneteenth event virtually or locally, and most importantly identify what you can do to be actively engaged in addressing and eliminating systemic racism in both our campus and local communities. Our progress, as a society and as a college, requires personal and institutional honesty, accountability, and action. It requires each of us to acknowledge where we have more to learn, understand, and grow. In addition to taking action and learning today, we will share additional information next week about multiple educational opportunities (i.e., that will focus on anti-racism, active allyship and solidarity, systemic racism, and implicit bias) in July and August for students, staff, and faculty.

Local and Regional Events:

5 events to celebrate Juneteenth in Lancaster County

Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County & Crispus Attucks Community Center Juneteenth events

Juneteenth Events in Central PA

Welcome Celebration & mural-making with the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Coalition and Xulbo

14th Annual Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival

How Philadelphia is Celebrating Juneteenth 8 Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth in Philadelphia

National/Virtual Events:

National Museum of African American History & Culture Juneteenth: A Celebration Of Resilience

Virtual Events to Attend to Celebrate Juneteenth

Celebrate Juneteenth This Year With These Free Virtual Events

Celebrate Juneteenth with Free Online Events & Celebrations

12 Virtual Juneteenth Events to Help You Honor the Day

Additional Historical Learning (these are just a few of thousands of resources):

* Engage with the New York Times The 1619 Project, which re-examines the legacy of slavery in the United States and was released last summer to correspond with the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans in Virginia * Read Georgetown Law Library’s A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States * Take free courses through Yale University to learn about the US history of the Civil War, Emancipation, and Reconstruction: The Civil War and Reconstruction Era and African American History: From Emancipation to the Present * Learn through PBS with Reconstruction: The Second Civil War, Jim Crow Laws, and PBS Videos and Resources about Juneteenth * Learn about African American history and culture in the United States through the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington DC by engaging with their online content and visiting in person when it reopens

Today also begins Academics for Black Survival and Wellness Week, which runs through Thursday, June 25. Additional resources about anti-racism, allyship, and higher education will be shared with our community next week.

Take care of yourselves and others, Michael Molla President

Pennsylvania College of Art & Design 204 N Prince Street Lancaster PA 17603

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