GCSU Remembers juneteenth: A celebration of freedom
Juneteenth (June 19) is the oldest known commemoration related to the abolition of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth National Independence Day was signed into law as a national holiday on June 17, 2021. The word “Juneteenth” is a Black English contraction, or portmanteau, of the month “June” and the date “Nineteenth.” From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.
“The Civil War ended formally with the surrender of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. The demise of slavery was imminent. On June 19, 1865, enslaved men, women, and children in Texas learned of their emancipation when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued General Order Number 3. More than two hundred thousand Texans were affected by the order, which generated joyous responses immediately. More encompassing than General Order Number 3 was the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified on December 6, 1865, which stated that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a convicted crime, shall exist in the United States.
[While there are other freedom-day celebrations in African American communities throughout the nation], “Juneteenth is perhaps the oldest continuous freedom celebration in the United States. Originally Juneteenth celebrations focused on political activities, but over time they became festive events, often including barbeques, music, games, fishing, and rodeos, while still allowing for reflection and remembrance. In 1979 the Texas legislature declared Juneteenth a state holiday. Juneteenth is celebrated throughout the country, largely because Texans have migrated to other states and taken their Juneteenth traditions with them. These anniversaries allow celebrants to define, revise, and retell the histories of emancipations, to recognize heroes, and to pass holiday traditions down to younger generations.”— Wilma King, Professor Emerita, University of Missouri, Columbia. In Juneteenth and Beyond: African American Emancipation Celebrations Since 1808, OAH Blog June 17, 2019.
Juneteenth Resources
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/juneteenth.htm
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth
https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth
june is pride month
Pride Month is an annual celebration of the many contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to history, society, and cultures worldwide. In most places, Pride is celebrated throughout June each year in commemoration of its roots in the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. However, in some areas—especially in the Southern Hemisphere—pride events occur at other times of the year.
In June 2000, President Bill Clinton officially designated June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month, in recognition of the Stonewall Riots and gay activism throughout the years. A more inclusive name was chosen in 2009 by President Barack Obama: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.
~Excerpt from https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/pride-month
dinner with 12 strangers
The Office of Inclusive Excellence is pleased to announce the return of “Dinner With 12 Strangers”, a “building community” event at Georgia College & State University. During the fall and spring semesters, there will be two Dinners that will include a delicious meal, fun icebreakers, personal introductions, and an engaging conversation about how we can make GCSU a more welcoming community for all. Twelve selected individuals from all areas of campus will be invited to be one of the twelve strangers who meet for dinner.
If you are interested in being considered as one of our dinner guests this semester, please follow this link to complete and submit the following form. Dinner guests will be selected by the Office of Inclusive Excellence and notified at least a week before the dinner is scheduled. Thank you for participating in this exciting new community-building program.
Diversity Statement
Georgia College & State University recognizes that diversity and inclusion are essential to our core values of reason, respect, and responsibility. We strive to achieve diversity excellence in the composition of our community, our educational programs, university policies, research and scholarship, campus life, employment practices, extracurricular activities, and community outreach. We also believe that a welcoming and inclusive environment is critical to attaining the kind of campus climate that allows members of our community to succeed in their endeavors, to be respected as individuals, and to feel a sense of belonging at Georgia College, and we support educational programs designed to achieve this kind of inclusive excellence. Our overarching goal is for Georgia College to achieve preeminence as a model for excellence in diversity and inclusion for our state, region, and nation.
Mission Statement
The Office of Inclusive Excellence seeks to provide education that informs, to support a culture that values, and to build an infrastructure that sustains a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community at Georgia College & State University.
Vision Statement
The Office of Inclusive Excellence envisions a college community that is knowledgeable of cultural issues impacting diversity and inclusion, committed to historical and the inherent value of diversity and inclusion, and actively engaged in practices that demonstrate that knowledge and commitment.