Celebrate Juneteenth
An Emancipation Day celebration in Richmond, Virginia circa 1905. Photo credit: Courtesy of Library of Congress
Juneteenth Now a National Holiday!
Bill passes Congress this week and President Biden signs it into law on Thursday, June 17.
“More than a day of remembrance, Juneteenth is a symbol, a landmark day for our country, and for our evolution as a society. For our campus, the day was an opportunity for us to come together for fellowship, conversation, community, and most importantly, for listening. To be a positive force for change, we must do something. I am encouraged by the unprecedented collaboration to make the event special and meaningful for all Spartans. My hope is that this is the first of many such celebrations in the years to come.”
Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
UNCG Juneteenth Book Discussion
Participate in a discussion of On Juneteenth
by Annette Gordon-Reed
If you are interested in participating in this book discussion group please complete the form below. Responses will be gathered and a date and time set for our initial meeting.
Additional resources
GSO Celebrates Juneteenth
See City of Greensboro schedule for activities on June 19.
Related Documentaries
- “Why All Americans Should Honor Juneteenth Day”
- “History in Five: Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation”
A Personal Essay
“I was an adult before I understood how close my kin and I were to American slavery. I thought this history to be distant, somewhere near the beginning of time, but those days stood near us like a shadow in the noonday sun.”
“Shadow of Suns” from A Colored Girl Speaks: The Podcast
Essay by Andrea Hunter and Narrated by Tiera Chiama Moore
Reading
“On Juneteenth” by Annette Gorden-Reed
The Atlantic magazine: Juneteenth has always been worthy of celebration
The New York Times: “Why Juneteenth Matters”
Digital
Resources to Celebrate and Teach Juneteenth for K-12
Becoming a National Holiday
Read about the US Congress’ movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday. As of June 15, 2021, a bill has just passed the US Senate!
Lift Every Voice
Enjoy an acapella version of Lift Every Voice from the singing group “Committed” to kick off your Juneteenth celebration. Poem written by James Weldon Johnson and his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, wrote the music. The song was first performed in 1900 by African American children at Staunton School (segregated) in Jacksonville, Florida. https://www.newworldrecords.org/blogs/news/the-story-behind-lift-every-voice-and-sing
If you remember, not long after the killing of George Floyd, I wrote that structural and cultural racism needs to be confronted head-on for our society to move toward a more prosperous future for all. I argued that for society to change, it is a matter of the public’s willingness to change on matters of race, ethnicity, and the like. In particular, my response – my call to action – was simple but necessary: “do something.”
— Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr.
April 20, 2021
Statement on AAPI Community Support
We are very proud of our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students at UNCG, and we join the many campuses around the country who are calling for an end to anti-AAPI bigotry. Hate, violence, harassment or discrimination of Asian students has no place at UNCG or anywhere. Our AAPI community is wonderfully diverse and deeply connected to all aspects of Spartan life.
Take Action & Resources
Student & Alumni Voices
Student and Alumni Voices, a platform for UNCG students and alumni, highlights contributions to dismantling racial inequality and racism within the United States and globally.
Podcast: A Colored Girl Speaks
Dr. Andrea Hunter’s podcast, “A Colored Girl Speaks: Meditations on Race and Other Magical Things,” is a collection of personal essays on race, culture, and politics through the prism of identity, memory, and history – an intimate, and often painful, commentary on race in America, and the way forward.
As a minority-serving institution with a history as a women’s college, UNC Greensboro takes pride in providing access and opportunity to individuals from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
We also recognize that we must do more to address issues of systemic racism and racial inequality on our campus and in our community. Racism has no place at UNCG. We are a leading public university in North Carolina serving a diverse student body, and it is our responsibility to take action to ensure equal opportunity in education and employment.
This website serves as a launching pad for Spartans, community members, and prospective students and families to learn more about our commitment to racial equity. Here, you’ll find statements from University leaders that address issues of racism and violence against communities of color, be it police violence or from the public at large. We’ve also compiled a list of resources and outlined ways that individuals can get involved with our ongoing efforts and engage each other in dialogue to create a more just community.
“Dear Black Students at UNC Greensboro: We write to you all as Black faculty members that feel called to address the utter outrage, grief, and despair that is present in the ongoing police and state violence against Black people. We see you and we are with each and every one of you.” Read more…
Black UNCG Faculty
We want to hear from you.
Help expand this website. Share ideas, resources, events, and more.
Voices around campus
“I condemn the unlawful use of force by police in the cases of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and the regularly occurring reported and unreported discriminatory actions perpetrated by the state and state agents against communities of color and the poor.”
— Dr. David Kauzlarich, Dean, Department of Sociology
"We affirm the need to support our students of color on campus, to give them a platform from which to speak, and to unequivocally stand against racism in all its forms.”
— Dr. Noelle Morrissette, Director, African American and African Diaspora Studies
“We must overturn the dominant paradigm and build a new system founded on equality and respect for all. We have made mistakes in the past. We have a long way to go. But our efforts to live up to these non-negotiable standards have begun in earnest.”
— Dr. bruce d. mcclung, Dean, College of Visual and Performing Arts
“My emotions have ranged from sadness, anger, pain, empathy, frustration, and confusion. Like so many others, it has been a struggle to find perfect thoughts, and the right words to express how I truly feel.”
— Trina Patterson, Head Coach, UNCG Women’s Basketball
“Let us strive to expand our current work in promoting educational and social equity and seek new and broader ways to address social injustices of racism and prejudice — through our teaching, through our scholarship, through our practice, and through our community engagement.”
— Dr. Randy Penfield, Dean, School of Education
“I see this time of unrest as a critical call for each of us to reflect and learn – about our own biases, the experiences of others, our socio-political movements, history, civic responsibilities, and more.”
— Dr. John Z. Kiss, Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
UNCG POLICY ON DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT
UNCG is committed to equal opportunity in education and employment for all persons and will not tolerate any discrimination against or harassment of persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, genetic information, veteran status, disabling condition, or age.
Make a Gift
Our Call to Action is to be a university where equity, diversity, and inclusion are not only what we say but what we do, and more, who we are – such that it is a part of our DNA. Be a part of the action!