UC Santa Cruz will celebrate Juneteenth—the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery.

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free, according to Juneteenth.com. This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation that had become official Jan. 1, 1863.

The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on Texans initially due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new executive order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

SPEAKERS

• David Anthony III, Author and Professor of African History.
• Jennifer Baszille, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Career Succes; Executive Director, Career Center Division of Student Success
• Aaron Joes, Associate Director, Black Student Success

Organized by Staff Human Resources, the event is open to everyone in the campus community.