A Day for Reflection and Advancing Racial Equity

I am pleased to announce that RIT will celebrate Juneteenth as an official campus holiday beginning this year on Monday, June 19. This federal holiday commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States in June of 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to ensure that all enslaved people in that region would be freed. 

While Juneteenth causes us to reflect upon the impact of racism and the legacy of chattel slavery, this holiday also presents an opportunity to envision and work toward a brighter future, free of racial inequity. I hope that this day will be used for action as well as reflection.

The decision to initiate this new RIT holiday was made with ample support and guidance from the RIT Division of Diversity and Inclusion. We formed multiple discussion groups representing faculty, staff, and students to help determine whether and how best to observe Juneteenth. This process also affirmed the desire to continue celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day together on our campus. For many years, RIT has dedicated our Expressions of King’s Legacy programming to celebrate Martin Luther King’s life and impact on the world. This programming allows our students to share in the lessons he taught us and to envision how these lessons might be applied to the challenges we face today.

Beginning this year, the University will be closed for the Juneteenth holiday; no classes will be held. Please visit the Human Resources website for more information. 

I hope we will spend this day with family and friends, reflecting on the past, contemplating a brighter future, and perhaps volunteering in the community.

Sincerely,

David Munson
President