TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Indiana State University hosted its first Juneteenth celebration ever Sunday at the Charles E. Brown African-American Cultural Center.
Juneteenth is known as the day when the last enslaved African-Americans were officially set free June 19, 1865, in Texas. This was more than two years after former President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
The celebration was hosted in partnership with the university’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Students and faculty gathered for a panel discussion about Black history and what it means for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday.
Dr. Tiffany Reed, director of the African-American Cultural Center, said she wants to educate the campus and the Terre Haute community about Black history.
“What we want to do is make sure we’re educating the Terre Haute community and Indiana State University is understanding that today is all about liberation, celebration, healing, not just for our ancestors,” Reed explained. “But also when we think about the Black Lives Matter movement with George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and a host of other black individuals whose names may have never been recognized or noticed.”
