UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Campus and community members will be provided the opportunity to celebrate Juneteenth National Independence Day and learn more about the holiday with several events and resources. Penn State officially observes Juneteenth — June 19 — as a University holiday.
What began as a celebration of the end of slavery in Texas, Juneteenth — an amalgamation of the words "June" and "nineteenth" — has become a holiday commemorating the emancipation of slavery throughout the United States. Also called Jubilation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth refers to the Monday in 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that Union soldiers arrived in Galvaston, Texas, and announced the liberation of America’s more than 3 million enslaved people.
In 2019, Pennsylvania recognized June 19 as Juneteenth National Freedom Day, and in June 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law an act designating June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday.
'Embracing Unity and Solidarity from Sundown to Sunrise: Juneteenth, A New Horizon' celebration — June 14-15
On June 14-15, Juneteenth will be celebrated in downtown State College, a celebration weekend filled with food, music, art, performances and many activities for individuals and families to enjoy. This is the fifth year for the celebration in the borough, said Leslie Laing, co-founder and planning co-chair of the Juneteenth Celebration committee.
"This year’s theme illuminates the historical perspectives about sundown towns that mandated us to be hidden, places that were labeled unsafe or hostile toward Black people," Laing said. "Sunrise speaks to a new day dawning, hope for a prosperous future that continues to emerge. We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams and hosting a freedom festival in the middle of town allows us to illuminate Black culture, music and entertainment right here in Centre County."
Art Exhibit and Opening Reception — 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 14
Festivities begin with the Juneteenth Art Exhibition and Opening Reception, to take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 14, at the Woskob Family Gallery, located at 146 S. Allen St. in downtown State College. A variety of artistic media, 2D and 3D visual art, photography, sculpture and crafts will be on display. KO, the featured artist for 2024, and Irvin Moore, the Art Exhibition winner of 2023, will be present to mix and mingle along with other artists.
Block Party — noon-6 p.m. Saturday, June 15
The Juneteenth Block Party kicks off at noon on Saturday, June 15, and runs until 6 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza and 100 Block of South Fraser Street. A block-style party to commemorate the liberation of the last enslaved people in Texas in 1865 — two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation — will be held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza and 100 Block of South Fraser Street.
The event will shut down the street with a showcase of live performances by a wide range of musicians, poets, dancers and more. This year features a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter from Philadelphia, the Marching Cobras, a drumline with dancers from New York City, and a Double Dutch Swing Group. The block party also will feature food trucks, a variety of Black-owned businesses, and fun activities throughout the day for kids and adults.
"Our local Juneteenth events were founded by the State College NAACP and hosted in partnership with the Borough of State College, the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau," Laing said. "The Juneteenth Committee values bringing the community together by centering this rich history with the performing arts, Black business owners, organizations, ethnic swag, artists and musicians all of which celebrate Black excellence and our freedom."
Virtual Speaker Series: 'Celebrating Jubilee: The Histories and Meanings of Juneteenth,' with Dean Clarence Lang — noon-1 p.m. June 18, on Zoom
Join the Penn State Alumni Association on the eve of Juneteenth as it welcomes Clarence Lang, the Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, to its Virtual Speaker Series. Lang will offer a brief history of Juneteenth and discuss its enduring significance in African American life as a critical moment in Black people’s journey toward Emancipation. A particular area of interest is understanding the impact of Juneteenth becoming recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, which coincided with the nation’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa race riot. Lang said he believes that Juneteenth is a reminder that African American history is a narrative of both change and continuity — one that encompasses continuing progress as well as setbacks in the nation’s reckoning with its racial past and present. Register for Lang's talk here.
Libraries marks Juneteenth with resources for African American culture, history
In celebration of Juneteenth National Independence Day on Wednesday, June 19, Penn State University Libraries is offering a listing of resources, including links, books, articles, films, artifacts, exhibits and more that uplift those voices — throughout history and today — who celebrate African American culture and promote the work of dismantling racism, with the intention of providing educational resources and continued dialogue. See the list of resources and read the story here.