Observing Juneteenth, 2021
Dear Howard University Community,
When President Lincoln abolished the institution of slavery on January 1, 1863, with the Emancipation Proclamation, it was a victory and a vital moment of culmination. For generations, abolitionists had argued that slavery was both morally wrong and poisonous to the welfare of our nation. Certainly, the executive order was part of the Union’s strategy for winning the Civil War; but the proclamation was vindication of their advocacy and proof that their perspective had migrated from the fringe of society all the way to the White House.
However, as we all know, liberation in the eyes of the law did not result in freedom on the ground. Slaves in Galveston, Texas remained in bondage until June 19, 1865, when they were finally made aware of their emancipation.
It is important that we as a nation continue to elevate Juneteenth as an independence day for the African-American community – not January 1, when the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect; not July 9, when the 14th Amendment was ratified; not July 4, when the right to liberty was enshrined as an inalienable right for all people in our nation. Our freedom should be commemorated on an occasion when Black men and women were truly able to feel it and free to enjoy it.
By celebrating Juneteenth, we are not dismissing the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation. We are simply reminding ourselves that service never stops. Even when we pause to celebrate a milestone, a victory or a seminal moment, our work continues the very next day.
We must always ensure that change is realized in our cities and streets after it is enshrined into our laws. As we advocate for social justice, we have to be specific about what we mean. We cannot have equality in name only; we need it for the people of color who require health care and nutritious food and a safe place to live.
When we celebrate Juneteenth this year, let us remember the jubilation of the slaves in Galveston, Texas the moment they found out they were free. But let us not forget the injustice they experienced – of a bondage that lasted two years after they were emancipated by the law of the land; of a nation that allowed them to be enslaved at all; of a society that gave them freedom, but not justice or equality.
While Juneteenth will always be a vital day for the African-American community, it is past time that it was given greater recognition as a day of significance for the country as a whole. I am deeply appreciative that Congress has passed the bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday in an inspiring display of bipartisanship, and I am grateful to President Biden for signing it into law. This further reinforces the notion that African-American history is indeed American history and deserves to be treated as such in our schools and by our governments.
In observance of the Juneteenth holiday, the University will be closed tomorrow, June 18, and will reopen Monday, June 21, 2021.
Employees determined to be essential are expected to still perform in their work capacities on Friday, June 18, 2021. Essential services include those provided by Enterprise Technology Services, WHUR-FM, WHUT-TV, Physical Facilities Management, Public Safety and Howard University Hospital. Essential employees will receive equivalent administrative leave for a future date, to be determined by their manager. That information will be covered in a separate memorandum to be issued by the cabinet officer responsible for departments that provide essential services. Managers, please ensure that all employees under your purview receive this notice.
Let us use this time off to pause to celebrate our successes while also refocusing on our continued service so that we may realize greater justice and equality for those individuals who have yet to receive it and are most in need of it.
Excellence in Truth and Service,
Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA
Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery
President