Celebrate Juneteenth with Southern Utah UniversityCelebrate Juneteenth

Commemorated annually on June 19, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. Also known as June Nineteenth, Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day, or Emancipation Day, the holiday marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Texas to free the remaining enslaved African Americans. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed two and a half years prior, Juneteenth honors the official end of slavery in the United States.

The holiday has been celebrated by Black Americans since the late 19th century and is now commemorated and formally recognized on a national and state level. U.S. President Joseph R. Biden shared a recommitment to the work of equity, equality, and justice in the proclamation creating the national holiday on June 18, 2021. Utah officially declared Juneteenth a state holiday in March 2022.

Sponsors

SUU Office of Equity and Inclusion logo Southwest Technical College logo SUU Gerald R. Sherratt Library Logo Southern Utah Museum of Art Center for Diversity and Inclusion Utah Shakespeare Festival