Emory commemorates Juneteenth

Events focused on racism and social justice continue

June 23, 2020

The Emory community commemorated Juneteenth as an opportunity to listen, learn and unite, featuring a series of conversations on race and social justice that continue this week and into the future.

"We ask that all members of our community spend time on Juneteenth and in the coming days, weeks and months reflecting on our history and consider how to engage in the work necessary to address racism as it exists in our university, in our communities, and in ourselves," President Claire E. Sterk and President Elect Fenves wrote in a June 17 community message.

Juneteenth marks the day — June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect — when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that enslaved people were now free and the war was over. The next year, African Americans began marking the anniversary with large gatherings in Texas, and Juneteenth grew to become a national celebration of freedom and the end of slavery.

A band plays at a Juneteenth celebration in 1900 in Austin, Texas. Public domain image / credit: Austin History Center, Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries.

A band plays at a Juneteenth celebration in 1900 in Austin, Texas. Public domain image / credit: Austin History Center, Portal to Texas History, University of North Texas Libraries.

For the first time, Emory had early release at noon June 19 so students, faculty and staff could "spend a portion of the day reading, reflecting, engaging and exploring the issues that challenge our shared understanding of history," Sterk and Fenves wrote. Employees received full pay for the day.

Emory's Juneteenth events included the launch of two online webinar series: one hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life, and the other hosted by the School of Medicine. The Rollins School of Public Health, Candler School of Theology and Emory Alumni Association also hosted web events.

The university community has also joined in broader Atlanta events. The Emory College Center for Creativity and Arts provided supplies and support for a Juneteenth community mural painting event near the site where Rayshard Brooks was killed by Atlanta police, and the Graduate Student Government Association and Laney Graduate School Council urged graduate and professional school faculty, staff and students to join in Atlanta's Juneteenth celebration.

Online Conversations

Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Office of Spiritual and Religious Life

"Observing Juneteenth: The Long Arc of Justice"

On June 18, Candler School of Theology professor Greg Ellison II, author of “Cut Dead But Still Alive: Caring for African American Young Men” and “Fearless Dialogues: A New Movement for Justice,” joined an online discussion with Carol Henderson, Emory’s chief diversity officer and vice provost for equity and inclusion, about the importance of Juneteenth and its relevance to current issues. Click above to view.

"Observing Juneteenth: The Conversation Continues"

Building on the June 18 event, Henderson hosted a June 25 conversation featuring professor Walter Rucker, director of Emory's Department of African American Studies and author of "The River Flows On: Black Resistance Culture and Identity Formation in Early America" and "Gold Coast Diasporas: Identity, Culture and Power." They discussed slavery, slave resistance, liberation and Emory's own legacies. Click above to view.

Candler School of Theology

"How Does Protesting Connect to Faith?"

Candler hosted a June 24 webinar discussing the following question: What does protesting have to do with our faith? Panelists includef Leah Gunning Francis, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Christian Theological Seminary; Kyle Lambelet, assistant professor in the practice of theology and ethics at Candler; and Darrin Sims Jr., co-chair for diversity and inclusion for the Candler Coordinating Council and a third-year student at Candler. View a recording on the Candler Foundry Facebook page.

Emory School of Medicine

"Juneteenth: Giving Voice"

On June 19, the School of Medicine began a new webinar series on racism and social justice. The first discussion explored the significance of Juneteenth and the African-American experience. Carolyn Meltzer, chief diversity and inclusion officer for the School of Medicine, moderated the panel including Sheryl Heron, professor of emergency medicine and associate dean, community engagement, equity and inclusion; Jada Bussey-Jones, professor of medicine; and Nicole Franks, associate professor of emergency medicine. Click above to view.

"Bias in Clinical Decision Making"

The second installment in the School of Medicine's Racism and Social Justice Webinar Series addressed bias in clinical decision making. The June 24 conversation was moderated by Meltzer and Tammie Quest, professor of emergency medicine. Panelists include Bussey-Jones; Maura George, associate professor of medicine; Denise Jamieson, professor of gynecology and obstetrics; and Michelle Wallace, assistant professor of pediatrics. Click above to view.

Emory Alumni Association

"Emory Explores: Become an Effective Ally"

The Emory Alumni Association hosted a discussion June 24 for those who want to support people of color and marginalized communities but are unsure about what to do or say. Panelists discussed actionable ways to come together as allies to defend, protect and lift up marginalized communities. "We want to empower ally action and deepen community to hold each other accountable for the long-term to effect lasting systemic change," event organizers note. Presenters included LaNita Gregory Campbell, director of Emory's Office for Racial and Cultural Engagement, and Alix Olson, assistant professor of women's, gender and sexuality studies at Oxford College. View a recording on the Emory Alumni Association Facebook page.

Rollins School of Public Health

"Research on Distributions and Consequences of Excessive Police Violence"

On June 22, Emory researchers convened to discuss current research on the effects of excessive police violence on public health through a live Zoom webinar. Hannah Cooper, Rollins Distinguished Professor in Substance Abuse, moderated the panel, which included Ali Sewell, founding director of The Race and Policing Project and associate professor of sociology; public health PhD student Leslie Salas; and Umed Ibragimov, research assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences. This session served as the first of several webinars planned throughout the year as part of the new Rollins Takes Action 2020 series. View a recording here.

"Interventions to Reduce the Incidence and Consequences of Excessive Police Violence"

On Monday, June 29, at 12 p.m., Cooper moderates the second session in the new Rollins Takes Action series, exploring "Interventions to Reduce the Incidence and Consequences of Excessive Police Violence." Panelists include Mindy Fullilove, psychiatrist and professor of urban policy and health at The New School; Michael Leo Owens, associate professor of political science in Emory College; and PhD students David Cloud and Leslie Salas, both in the Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences. Learn more, including how you can submit questions in advance, here.

Supporting Community Art

On the morning of Tuesday, June 16, proprietors at the Carver Neighborhood Market in South Atlanta arrived to find their windows broken. Just a few days before, Rayshard Brooks was killed by Atlanta police officers outside a nearby Wendy’s and unrest continued to rock the Carver neighborhood, touching the local market.

Opened five years ago by Focused Community Strategies (FCS), a non-profit supporting under-resourced Atlanta neighborhoods based out of the same building, the grocery store provides much-needed access to fresh produce in one of the area’s many food deserts. FCS partners with the Goizueta Business School and Purpose Built Schools of Atlanta each year to run Social Enterprise @ Goizueta’s Start:ME Southside, a free accelerator for local small businesses helping entrepreneurs achieve success and build neighborhood vitality.

Within hours of discovering the damage at Carver Neighborhood Market, members of the community had cleared the broken glass and covered the holes with plywood boards, and a plan was born to cover the temporary exterior with a mural celebrating the neighborhood and the Black Lives Matter movement.

With the design of lead artist Andre Thompson and help from Emory alum and artist Fahamu Pecou 18PhD, neighborhood residents of all ages and backgrounds came out over the Juneteenth weekend to bring the mural to life. The Emory College Center for Creativity and Arts provided the paint and supplies.

“It was great to see the Carver community come together – young, old, black, white, brown – to participate, to be in dialogue on social and racial justice topics, and just breathe together as the human race,” says Candy Tate, assistant director of the Center for Creativity and Arts.

The mural can be seen at Carver Neighborhood Market, 1297 McDonough Blvd. SE.

Mural photos by Candy Tate.