Subject: [All Faculty] Juneteenth
From: Presidents Office <[email-masked]>
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:04:33 -0700
List-Id: <nested_in_allfaculty.cca.edu>

Dear Colleagues,

This Friday, June 18, CCA will observe Juneteenth, a day that honors
African American freedom and achievement while encouraging continuous
self-development and respect for all cultures. Traditionally celebrated
each June 19, Juneteenth commemorates the arrival of federal troops in
Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, to enforce the end of slavery in that
state—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had outlawed
it.

CCA instituted Juneteenth as a paid holiday and annual day of service,
reflection, and celebration in 2020. The college’s approach to
acknowledging Juneteenth was developed in consultation with the Staff of
Color Alliance (SOCA), Faculty of Color Alliance (FOCA), and Staff Advisory
Committee (SAC). We recognize that many members of our community have
long-established traditions for celebrating the day, while others may be
learning of its significance more recently. In this spirit, I encourage
each member of our community to spend the day in whatever way is meaningful
to you—celebrating with friends and family, learning more about the history
surrounding the day, or finding opportunities to be of service. My own
plans include spending time exploring the Equal Justice Initiative
<https://eji.org/>’s resources and participating throughout the week in
some of the Juneteenth programming of the New York Public Library’s
renowned Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
<https://www.nypl.org/locations/schomburg>.

As the members of SOCA, FOCA, and SAC convey so well in their joint
statement introducing a collection of Juneteenth resources for our
community, “Recognizing Juneteenth does not ameliorate the ongoing
institutional barriers to racial equality in America, but it can be an
acknowledgement of Black people’s contribution to American history and how
much of that contribution has come with tremendous suffering.” I encourage
you to read their full statement
<https://portal.cca.edu/essentials/diversity-equity-inclusion/community-sourced-racial-justice-equity-resources/#juneteenth>on
Portal, and to explore the resources they have gathered there as we
continue to work together to promote justice and equity in our community.

Respectfully,

Steve

Juneteenth statement and community resources
<https://portal.cca.edu/essentials/diversity-equity-inclusion/community-sourced-racial-justice-equity-resources/#juneteenth>