2021 Juneteenth Symposium: Celebrating Black Joy, Hope, and Healing
U-M’s inaugural campus-wide Juneteenth Symposium will explore the theme of “Celebrating Black Joy, Hope, and Healing.” A partnership between U-M and the Ann Arbor Branch of the NAACP, this Juneteenth observance aims to celebrate and recognize the liberation of all Black people from slavery, made official by the emancipation on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas. Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day. It is celebrated throughout the nation and as a state holiday in Michigan. It is also officially observed in Ann Arbor.
Our hope is to bring together the U-M and Ann Arbor communities virtually to underscore the importance of Juneteenth and to ensure that all students, staff, faculty, and residents feel a deep sense of belonging. We hope you can join us for our celebration, while we advance our educational mission as a university and seek to collaborate, enrich, and empower the community in a longstanding annual tradition to promote Black liberation and excellence.
Friday, June 18: Closing
Links to all recordings:
- Monday, June 14: Opening
- Tuesday, June 15: African American History and Culture
- Wednesday, June 16: Art and Culture
- Thursday, June 17: Racial Justice Call to Action
- Friday, June 18: Closing
Schedule of Events
June 14: Opening
10:00 a.m. Welcome
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
10:10 a.m. Territorial Acknowledgment
10:15 a.m. Black National Anthem
Larry James Walker II, Worship and Creative Arts Pastor
10:20 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
Susan M. Collins, Provost, University of Michigan
10:35 a.m. Libations
Elizabeth James, Program Associate, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies
10:45 a.m. History of Juneteenth
William Hampton, President, NAACP, Ann Arbor Branch
11:55 a.m. What’s Happening Next
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
June 15: African American History and Culture
10:00 a.m. Welcome
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
10:05 a.m. Praise Dance
10:20 a.m. Musical Performance
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
10:30 a.m. Artist Talk
Tylonn J. Sawyer, Multidisciplinary Artist Educator and Curator
11:30 a.m. Musical Performance
11:40 a.m. What’s Happening Next
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
June 16: Art and Culture
10:00 a.m. Welcome
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
10:05 a.m. Welcoming Remarks
Mike Solomon, Dean, Rackham Graduate School
10:10 a.m. Spoken Word
- Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd, Visiting Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies
- Tariq Gardner, Drums
- Marion Hayden, Bass
10:25 a.m. Articulations of Blackness, Black Life, and Black History in University of Michigan Museum of Arts’s Collections
Ozi Uduma, Assistant Curator of Global Contemporary Art, University of Michigan Museum of Art
11:00 a.m. Poem
monét cooper, Doctoral Student, Joint Program in English and Education
11:05 a.m. Transition and Break
11:20 a.m. Seven Last Words of the Unarmed
11:45 a.m. What’s Happening Next
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
June 17: Racial Justice Call to Action
10:00 a.m. Welcome
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
10:05 a.m. Workshop 1: Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) - White Fragility: How to Be Antiracist
- Katie Cox, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Jazzy Rivas Dinkins, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Clare Lauer, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Hannah Lefton, Law Student and Master’s Student, Social Work
- Blake Newman, Master’s Student, Social Work
A discussion about the practice of Anti-racism and the importance of allyship: topics discussed will include dismantling systems of oppression, advancing Black liberation, and other social justice principles.
Register for White Fragility: How to Be Antiracist
1:00 p.m. Workshop 2: A Seat at the Table: Knowing Your Worth and Candle Making Event
Association of Black Social Work Students (ABSWS)
- Katie Cox, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Frances Dean, Master’s Student, Public Health and Social Work
- Jazzy Rivas Dinkins, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Imani Russell, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Tanner Schudlic, Master’s Student, Social Work
A creative discussion event that explores how we can define Black Excellence through self-worth and self-care. It will feature a mindfulness and reflection candle-making activity.
Register for A Seat at the Table: Knowing Your Worth and Candle Making Event
2:00 p.m. Transition and Break
6:00 p.m. Workshop 3: Black Mental Health and Self-Care: Paint and Conversation
Association of Black Social Work Students (ABSWS) and Public Health Students
- Brandon Bond, Master’s Student, Public Health and Social Work
- Jazzy Rivas Dinkins, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Trey Gates, Master’s Student, Social Work
- Ashley Sapp, Master’s Student, Social Work
A conversation about the current state of mental health awareness in the Black Community: topics discussed will include mental health stigma in the Black Community, mental health resources for Black identifying individuals, and the importance of mindfulness through creative expression.
Register for Black Mental Health and Self-Care: Paint and Conversation
7:00 p.m. What’s Happening Next
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
June 18: Closing
10:00 a.m. Welcome
Gregory Thomas, Program Manager, Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives
10:05 a.m. Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Dr. Katrina Wade-Golden, Deputy Chief Diversity Officer
10:10 a.m. Keynote Address
Dr. Robert Sellers, Chief Diversity Officer
10:40 a.m. Closing Remarks
Dr. Martino Harmon, Vice President of Student Life
June 19: Emancipation ≠ Freedom: Juneteenth Celebrate Freedom
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. March (RAIN OR SHINE)
Participate in an in-person one mile community march from Fuller Park to Wheeler Park (map). The walk will pass along Riverside Park, across the Broadway Bridge to Summit Street before reaching Wheeler Park where there will be refreshments, conversation, and information.
1:00 p.m. Virtual Program
The Ann Arbor Branch of the NAACP and other event collaborators will present a Juneteenth virtual program that will be broadcast on CTN and viewable on YouTube. Visit the Ann Arbor parks www.a2gov.org/juneteenth for additional details or for the program link which will be available at noon on June 19.
Saturday's events are co-sponsored by NAACP-Ann Arbor Branch, City of Ann Arbor, Protectors of Equality in Government, League of Women Voters-Ann Arbor Area, and the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County.
Co-Sponsors
- Rackham’s Strategic Action Lead Team
- NAACP Ann Arbor Branch
- Association of Black Social Work Students
- Department of Afroamerican and African Studies
- Center for Social Solutions
In Collaboration With
- Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- CEW+ Women of Color Task Force
Other Campus Events
2021 Juneteenth Celebration
- Event Details
- Sponsored by the Women of Color Task Force
- Friday, June 18
- 8:30 a.m to 1:30 p.m.
EECS Juneteenth Celebration
- Event Details
- Sponsored by Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Michigan Robotics
- Friday, June 18
- 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
20 Things Everyone Should Know About Slavery
- Event Details
- Sponsored by the Center for Social Solutions
- Friday, June 18
- 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Black and Free: Exploring Liberation and Freedom in the 21st Century
- Event Details
- Sponsored by the National Center for Institutional Diversity
- Friday, June 25
- 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.
Juneteenth Symposium Planning Committee
Co-Chairs
- Kianté J McKinley, M.S.W. Candidate
- Ethriam Cash Brammer, Ph.D.
Committee Members
- William Hampton
- Chanise Holmes
- Elizabeth James
- LaTasha Mitchell
- Darlene Ray-Johnson
- Jazmine Rivas Dinkins
- Doreen Tinajero