Arlene Rivera Finkelstein, Assoc. Dean for Equity & Justice and Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Officer, shares information about this year’s Juneteenth celebrations.
While we recognize the significance of Juneteenth as our newest national holiday, we acknowledge how much work to advance racial justice still remains.
Because Juneteenth (6/19) falls on a Sunday this year (coincidentally on Father’s Day), it will be observed on Monday, June 20. Many of you have always celebrated Juneteenth and will continue to do so. To you, and to those celebrating anew, we wish you joyous celebrations.
To others in our community and beyond who are still embracing the opportunity to learn more about this holiday and to engage more deeply in the work of anti-racism, our library colleagues have updated their wide range of resources on this topic:
Other informative resources include:
- The important efforts of universities across the country to address their own histories with slavery
- The Penn & Slavery Project: a project launched by Penn undergraduates in 2017
In addition, our Black Law Students Association recently unveiled their Reparations Resource Center. It’s an incredible project on which BLSA worked with guidance and support from Regina Austin, William A. Schnader Professor of Law, Emeritus.
Finally, in advance of Juneteenth, the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice and E&I are hosting a hybrid screening of “A Crime on the Bayou,” a film documenting a civil rights legal battle in the South, on Thursday, June 16 from 5:30-8pm. The documentary, produced by Brenda Robinson L’03, serves as a reminder that racial injustice and discrimination continue long after slavery, and our advocacy and activism for racial equity must persist. Please note that CLE credit is available.
