Juneteenth
CMU commemorates Juneteenth each year with a celebration of freedom, unity, and history. In 2024, we're extending our Juneteenth efforts to include rich educational opportunities, exploration of culture, and community connectedness. Juneteenth will be hosted over the course of 3 days. Monday, June 17, we'll hear from prominent speakers. Tuesday, June 18, will be an educational documentary paired with lunch at CMU. We'll then celebrate Juneteenth at Island Park on Wednesday, June 19th.
Frequently asked questions
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (short for June 19th) marks the day when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. Their arrival came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union. We celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.
Juneteenth emphasizes African American education and achievement. This is a time when people of all backgrounds join together in recognition of an important period of the nation’s history that continues to influence society today.
What we're doing virtually?
CMU's goal is to reach all of CMU students, and stakeholders. This includes those who are not in the Mount Pleasant Area, or who can not make it to campus. Juneteenth Week 2024 features a virtual keynote by two distinguished artists: Stacey Robinson and Kamau Grantham. Robinson and Grantham will delve into the significance of their artwork, offering reflections on the themes of culture, freedom and African American heritage. This takes place on Monday, June 17, 6-8pm.
What are we doing on campus?
CMU will host a lunch and documentary on the history of Juneteenth, and the economic impact of slavery through present day. The documentary will be followed by a panel discussion and audience questions. This takes place 11am-1pm on Tuesday, June 18 in the Health Professions Building. Lunch will be provided at no charge to attendees.
What are we doing off campus?
Juneteenth 2024 will bring together the CMU and Mount Pleasant community at Island Park. There will be speakers, community organizations, arts and crafts, performances, food and fun! This will take place on Juneteenth, June 19, 2024 at 4pm.
Movies to watch for Juneteenth
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is an American television film based on the novel of the same name by Ernest J. Gaines. The time is the early 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Jane, a former slave, is celebrating her 110th birthday. Two men tell her that a little girl is going to a segregated water fountain; she gets arrested because she is Black.
13th is a 2016 American documentary film by director Ava DuVernay. The film explores the "intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States"; it is titled after the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, adopted in 1865, which abolished slavery throughout the United States and ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for conviction of a crime.
Emancipation is a 2022 American historical action thriller film set in Louisiana in the 1860s after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to end most slavery in the US. The film was directed by Antoine Fuqua and co-produced by Will Smith, who stars as a runaway slave headed for Baton Rouge.
Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom is an illuminating film of deep understanding and thoughtful perspectives about the complex history of race. This movie features a Black American who is troubled by the legacy of American slavery and the misuse of Christianity to justify it. He travels throughout Texas discovering how the Juneteenth reveals faith and a fight for freedom in an unjust society.