University News
WIU President Guiyou Huang: Juneteenth Celebration & Observance
June 14, 2022
Dear University Community,
As June 19, Juneteenth, approaches, I'd like to invite you to join me and many others from noon-4 p.m. Saturday, June 18 at the Mount Calvary Church of God in Christ in Macomb (1500 E. Pierce St. in Macomb) to celebrate Juneteenth. I am honored to be a part of this celebration, which is also known as Freedom Day.
Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States, also marks the emancipation of African American slaves throughout the Confederate South. On June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free.
The community event on Saturday, June 18 will feature a variety of activities, from children's games, raffles, food, and a special program featuring speakers and entertainment, and more. We look forward to celebrating this important holiday with our friends and neighbors.
This year is also the first year that marks Juneteenth as a federal holiday. As such, Western Illinois University will be closed on Monday, June 20 to commemorate Juneteenth. Operations will resume on Tuesday, June 21.
I hope to see many of you on June 18 to celebrate Juneteenth.
Best wishes,
Guiyou Huang
President
Western Illinois University
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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