I hope this email finds you well as we celebrate Juneteenth, the official legal end to slavery in the United States. Today we reaffirm our support for the ongoing movement for racial justice and equality.
Observed as a federal and Loyola holiday, Juneteenth commemorates an incredible day in 1865 – June 19 – when Union forces liberated thousands of enslaved people in Galveston, several months after the Civil War had ended and more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
While it’s a day of great joy, the holiday also reminds us of the long and difficult struggle that lay ahead for so many freed people and their families and the ongoing challenges that our nation faces in living up to its values of true freedom and equality.
Today allows us all a tremendous opportunity to celebrate freedom and to consider racial injustice around the world and in our own communities. It’s a day to enjoy friends and family, and to think about how we can work together to build an even stronger community here on campus and improve situations in our wildly diverse city. Most of all, it’s a day that invites reflection about how we are called to love, learn, and serve.
Our goals for racial equity are envisioned in our Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence. We continue to make good progress under the leadership of Dr. Kedrick Perry. I’m grateful for his service and for the many members of the Loyola community who are working daily to combat injustice and create an environment of welcome throughout our campus.
May we all commit ourselves today to the pursuits of justice that are foundational to our Loyola mission.
Justin Daffron, S.J.
Interim President
