Westminster University will observe Juneteenth National Freedom Day on Thursday, June 13, from noon - 1:30 PM with a panel conversation featuring members of historically Black fraternities and sororities collectively known as the “Divine Nine” who reside in Utah.
The conversation will explore how Juneteenth and the Divine Nine have contributed to America’s past, present, and future with a focus on civic engagement and community service through programs that include social and political action, literacy, educational and economic development, and leadership.
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to inform and ensure that enslaved Blacks were finally freed following the end of the Civil War. The troops’ arrival occurred two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday has been celebrated by Black Americans since the late-19th century.
Juneteenth National Freedom Day became a federal holiday in 2021. The state of Utah added it to its list of state-observed holidays the following year.
A reception will follow the panel conversation.
This event is free and open to the public.
