Stanford celebrates Juneteenth
A series of events and activities around this year’s theme, “The Journey for Freedom,” take place June 8-25.
On Monday, June 19, the Stanford community will celebrate Juneteenth, recognizing the date when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. Since then, Juneteenth has been commemorated in communities across the United States, and became a federal holiday in 2021.
Stanford students celebrate Juneteenth at Old Union. (Image credit: Keith Uyeda)
This year’s theme, “The Journey for Freedom,” showcases a series of events and activities June 8-25 and provides opportunities to learn from one another and celebrate Black American culture, contribution, and freedom.
Juneteenth activities, held on main campus, SLAC, Stanford Redwood City, and Stanford Research Park, will begin this Thursday, June 8, with a food, justice, and farming discussion featuring Jim Embry, director and founder of Sustainable Communities Network and 2023 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award winner. Titled “Juneteenth Justice: Higher Education and the Pathway to a Sustainable Future,” the presentation by Embry and conversation with Ayodele Thomas, associate vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging, will be moderated by Shirley Everett, senior associate vice provost, R&DE, and senior adviser to the provost on equity and inclusion.
These are just some of the events planned for Juneteenth. Check the Juneteenth website for a full list of activities, and the most up-to-date information.
- June 16: Core Science Institute Summer Camp Juneteenth Celebration, SLAC (open to all, RSVP to shirinn@stanford.edu by June 8)
- June 20: Food & Community Fish Fry at Stanford Redwood City, Cardinal Cafe
- June 20-21: Black History Exhibit, Stanford Redwood City, Cardinal Hall Conference Center
- June 22: Remembering the Legacy of Slavery – Celebrating Freedom: A Music Celebration of Juneteenth and Black Culture, Clark Center Back Courtyard
- June 22: African American Quilt Guild of Oakland exhibit, Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center
- June 23: Food & Community Fish Fry at the Black House, Black Community Service Center
- June 25 (Sunday): Summer Sacred Music Series Kickoff, Stanford Memorial Church
All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to participate in Juneteenth activities and to reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth with your colleagues.
Online opportunities
For Stanford community members interested in participating remotely, there are several opportunities available:
- June 19: live cooking session will be livestreamed on the Juneteenth website
- June 22: Juneteenth educational panel discussion on Zoom (details on the Juneteenth website)
More details about Stanford’s Juneteenth events and activities are available on the 2023 Juneteenth website.