Auburn to recognize, celebrate Juneteenth holiday

Auburn University will be closed on Monday, June 20, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday, which falls on a Sunday this year.

Auburn recognizes and celebrates Juneteenth as a day to celebrate freedom, the end of slavery and as a day to reflect on the stain of slavery on this country’s history. All members of the Auburn Family are encouraged to take time this Juneteenth, June 19, to learn about and acknowledge this critical day in U.S. history. 

Juneteenth acknowledges the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce that all enslaved people be freed, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Last year, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law and made it a federal holiday. However, it was first celebrated in 1866 and is the nation’s oldest-known tradition honoring the end of slavery and commemorating Black freedom. 

In 2020, the City of Auburn officially recognized Juneteenth as an important day in the state and city’s history. As an integral part of this city’s community, Auburn and the Office of Inclusion and Diversity, or OID, hosted a luncheon on June 10 that commemorated Juneteenth that was attended by many members of the Auburn community.

To learn more about Auburn’s events and initiatives from this past year, along with information on Auburn’s commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus community and other notes of cultural recognition, please visit OID’s website or Instagram page and Auburn’s DEI landing page, or sign up for the OID newsletter.