Dear UCSF Community,

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when news of the end of slavery finally reached Texas — nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The following year, on June 19, 1866, Black congregants in Galveston gathered to commemorate the day.

While Juneteenth was named a national holiday in 2021, it has been celebrated for over 150 years in communities across the country, with museum exhibitions, neighborhood festivals, picnics and parades, in stories told and spaces shared. It is a holiday borne of tradition, the tradition of Black Americans gathering in strength and joy to celebrate freedom.

Vice Chancellor Renee Navarro and I invite you all to join the UCSF community in honoring Juneteenth. Visit the Multicultural Resource Center’s Juneteenth webpage, where you will find videos, virtual backgrounds, and film screening details, as well as information about celebrations around the Bay Area, including the Fillmore District’s Freedom Day Celebration, free programming and admission at the Museum of the African Diaspora, and the 14th Annual Juneteenth Festival in Oakland.

“Joy is an act of resistance,” wrote poet Toi Derricotte. Juneteenth is an opportunity to uplift and acknowledge freedom, perseverance, and the ongoing need to advocate for progress. We hope you take the time to celebrate this important holiday.

Sincerely,

Catherine R. Lucey, MD, MACP
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Co-Chair Chancellor’s Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion (4CI)