Jerri Harner, executive specialist with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, hands out T-shirts to Huskers and community members who celebrated Juneteenth during the university’s observance on June 20 at the Nebraska Union Plaza.
Coordinated by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the event drew students, staff, faculty and community members to observe what is considered the oldest African American holiday — one formally recognized by the federal government in 2021.
The holiday commemorates the true emancipation of the many African Americans who, though designated free by the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, continued to be enslaved through the end of the Civil War in 1865. The celebration specifically marks the arrival of federal forces in Galveston, Texas, and the freeing of the last enslaved African Americans in the state on June 19.
Learn more about the celebration.
