Dear Members of the 5X社区 Community,
This afternoon, President Joe Biden signed a historic bill into law establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a federal holiday commemorating the end of the enslavement of African Americans in the United States.
Juneteenth is an opportunity for all of us to acknowledge and embrace the full history of our nation, honor the life and legacy of the African American experience and reflect on the horrors of slavery as we measure our progress towards racial equity.
In honor of our new federal holiday, most university offices will be closed on Monday, June 21. In-person and synchronous online classes will not meet. Thank you to our faculty for being flexible and providing students the space to focus and reflect upon the meaning of the day.
Given the short notice, there may be some meetings and events on Monday that are unable to be rescheduled. For example, our Campus Connection and DKS programs that welcome new freshmen and our TKS program that welcomes transfer students will continue as planned. Employees who cannot take the day off on Monday will be granted a "floating holiday" to use at another approved time this calendar year.
I encourage the entire Kent State community to attend the Juneteenth Jubilee on Friday, June 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Risman Plaza. The event will include vendors, a live DJ, dancing and an opportunity for Black business owners to network with the community. There will also be refreshments that symbolize important facts representative of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth is a celebration of the courage and perseverance of Black Americans. I encourage you to commemorate this very special day with your community and our university community in the years to come.
With all my best,
Todd Diacon
President