Columbia Faculty, Staff, and Students Reflect on Juneteenth

June 14, 2021

June 19, or Juneteenth, which is also known as Liberation Day or Emancipation Day, will be marked by the Columbia community with a day off on Friday, June 18. In 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation making June 19 an official public holiday in the state of New York.

Although the holiday has been celebrated in parts of the United States since the late 1800s, plenty of people, especially outside of the South and Texas, are unfamiliar with it. To help answer some of your questions, Columbia News enlisted faculty, staff, and students from across the university to answer questions about Juneteenth, including its history and context, how they learned about the holiday, and how they celebrate it. Watch the full video below!