Writings & Remarks

Observing Juneteenth 2021

June 19, 2021

Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,

Today we join with others throughout the country to observe Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day. This day, which Congress and President Biden just designated a federal holiday, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Of course, the end of slavery did not mean the end of racism, or the violence, oppression, and loss that go with it.

Accordingly, even as we mark the anniversary that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, we are reminded of the progress we must continue to make as a society and as a College community. I encourage all members of the Hamilton community to reflect on the meaning of this anniversary and the actions we can take individually and collectively to stand against racism and bigotry.

David