UC to Close June 28 for Late Juneteenth

Juneteenth, normally celebrated on June 19th, will be celebrated instead at UC on June 28, i.e., next Monday. UC will be closed on that date.

In future years, the celebration will be on the regular June 19th date, according to an email circulated today. See below:

Dear Deans Council:

I write to ask you to convey to your students, faculty, and staff the importance of observing the new Juneteenth holiday in its entirety, with no classes, events, or meetings to be held on that day, leaving time to recognize, reflect, and celebrate the end of slavery in our nation.

 All Summer Sessions class meetings are to be canceled on Monday, June 28. Given the timing of this decision and the condensed nature of many Summer Sessions courses and programs, we understand that this may present challenges for instructors and students alike.  We encourage instructors to consider offering supplemental materials and recordings that students can access asynchronously, as well as additional office hours. While instructors may schedule make-up class meetings at their discretion, consideration should be given to students with time conflicts.

Sincerely,

Emily A. Carter

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

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Dear Bruin Community:

University of California President Michael Drake announced today that UC will observe Juneteenth — a day recognizing and celebrating the end of slavery in the United States - as a universitywide holiday. President Drake’s announcement appears in full below.

While Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19, this year UC will observe the holiday on Monday, June 28. Starting in 2022, the university will observe the holiday according to the federal calendar.

Juneteenth offers an important moment to acknowledge our nation’s troubled history and to honor the courage and achievement of African Americans in the face of longstanding adversity. We encourage every member of the UCLA community to use this day to consider what they can do to advance equity, inclusion and genuine belonging for all.

Sincerely,

Gene D. Block

Chancellor

Emily A. Carter

Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

Announcement from UC President Michael Drake (June 18)

Dear colleagues:

Yesterday President Biden declared a federal holiday for Juneteenth, the day that celebrates and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This is an historic moment for our nation — 156 years in the making.

Celebrated on the 19th of June, Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Freedom Day, marks the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Texas learned they were free. This news was delivered two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became law.

I intend to immediately add this to the University of California’s calendar of holidays. This year we will observe this holiday on Monday, June 28th. Starting in 2022, we will celebrate the Juneteenth holiday according to the federal calendar.

As we approach June 19th, I invite you to join me in reflecting on our nation’s history, the horrors of centuries of bondage, and the difficult road from liberation to equality. Let us resolve to build a future representing and lifted up by our ideals, our values, and our best selves.

Fiat Lux,

Michael V. Drake, M.D. President