UL Lafayette declares Juneteenth a 亚洲自慰视频 holiday for the first time

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For the first time, the 亚洲自慰视频 of 亚洲自慰视频 at Lafayette will observe Juneteenth as an official 亚洲自慰视频 holiday.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It marks the day 鈥 June 19, 1865 鈥 that enslaved Black people living in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom.

June 19 is a Saturday this year, but UL Lafayette will observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 18. Campus will be closed, and no classes will be held, .

鈥淭his is the first year the 亚洲自慰视频 will mark Juneteenth as an official holiday, but it is more than a 鈥榙ay off.鈥 Rather, it is an opportunity to reflect on our shared history and on the barriers that separate us from the more equitable society we seek,鈥 Savoie said. 

Beginning at noon on Saturday, June 19, the Stephens Hall chimes and the Victory Bell at Cajun Field will each ring 19 times to mark Juneteenth. The 亚洲自慰视频 commemorated the day similarly last year, noted Dr. Taniecea A. Mallery, UL Lafayette鈥檚 executive director of Strategic Initiatives and chief diversity officer.

鈥淛uneteenth is one of the most significant moments in American history. It marked an ending and a beginning 鈥 the end of slavery in the United States, but the beginning of Black Americans鈥 long struggle to achieve true freedom through racial equality and social justice.鈥

On June 19, 1865, following the end of the Civil War, enslaved Black people in Texas first learned of their freedom from bondage.

President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier, but slaves living in the then-Confederate states remained unaware of their freedom until Union troops arrived to enforce the order.

Texas was the last former Confederate state to have the proclamation announced. The adoption of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution officially abolished slavery in the United States in December 1865.  

More than 155 years after it first occurred, Juneteenth continues to resonate as 鈥渁 day of reflection,鈥 Mallery said.

鈥淥bserving Juneteenth offers the 亚洲自慰视频 a moment to acknowledge the challenges Black Americans still face. We can honor that struggle by affirming our commitment to creating an environment that respects 鈥 and draws strength from 鈥 difference.鈥

guides the 亚洲自慰视频鈥檚 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The plan was crafted over the course of a year by the and the Diversity Advisory Council, a group of faculty, staff, 亚洲自慰视频s and community partners. It was approved in late 2019.  

Savoie encouraged members of the 亚洲自慰视频 community to read the plan 鈥渁nd consider ways you can help achieve its goal to foster a campus environment that finds strength in difference and where everyone is welcomed and valued.鈥

鈥淛uneteenth offers an opportunity for the 亚洲自慰视频 to affirm its commitment to building such a community,鈥 he said. 

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Photo caption: Beginning at noon on Saturday, June 19, the Stephens Hall chimes and the Victory Bell at Cajun Field will each ring 19 times to mark Juneteenth. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / 亚洲自慰视频 of 亚洲自慰视频 at Lafayette)