A three-lecture series on Juneteenth will examine the past, present and future state of racial and social justice. Crystal Bradley, vice president of the , coordinated the series. UofL News caught up with Bradley to discuss Juneteenth and its continuing impact.

UofL News: How do you feel like our collective understanding of Juneteenth has evolved the past few years?

Bradley: There has been more awareness for everyone about the significance of Juneteenth, not just an awareness but a kind of freedom to celebrate the event as part of history. Juneteenth is not just Black history but it’s American history. It should be a positive thing and something that unifies us, not divides us. We can celebrate the idea of such an oppressive system of slavery being dismantled. You can imagine the enslaved getting this message that you don’t have to live this way anymore. That’s what we celebrate with Juneteenth, this message that you’re finally free from this oppressive system.

UofL News: What do you think is the most important thing that needs to be communicated about Juneteenth?

Bradley: Accuracy. Having a correct insight on history and the significance of it. It is not a divisive or taboo subject, and while it’s not pretty, it is American history and it’s our history to be embraced and shared by all. Information should be shared with everyone, so I think that’s the most critical part.

UofL News: How did the thematic concept of past, present and future – the idea of where we’ve been, where we are, where we’re going – how does that play into the struggle for racial equality?

Bradley: The Juneteenth event planning committee was deciding how to frame it, and we thought with everything going on this year, there are some people who want to rewrite history, and some just want to bury it altogether. With this theme of past, present, future, it’s kind of hitting the pause button on all of the noise to say, hey, let’s have an open, intelligent discussion with scholars and people who know about this subject matter. Let’s look back where we were as a community and talk about how the decisions made back then affected us, and how what we do now is going to affect us 20, 30, 40 years from now. We don’t want to stay stuck, so we need to have a vision to look forward. Our goal with this theme was to reflect, to pause and look at where we are and then to envision where we want to be in the future.

UofL News: Can you tell us a little bit about each speaker of the series?

Bradley: Monday, June 17th, Metro District 4 Councilman Jecorey Arthur is going to speak to our present component. One reason we chose him is because it is the 60^th anniversary of “freedom summer,” where in 1964, there was a big push to increase Black voter registration. That was in alignment with looking at how decisions we made back then plays into where we are now and the importance of voting, and how that plays into where and how we move forward as a society.��

On Tuesday, June 18, John Mays, former director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for Yum Brands, also known as the “I believe I can – man,” is going to address the future aspect. He’s a dynamic coach, author, entrepreneur and DEI motivational speaker. He brings a lot of energy, and he’s going to speak to that vision that we can have for ourselves as African Americans and as Americans collectively.

June 19^th is the official holiday, so on Thursday, June 20, the Coalition on the History of the Enslaved, which is a partnership and a collective of four diverse groups here in Louisville, will close out our speaker series. These are scholars who have deep knowledge of all the historical facts and points and sites within Louisville and surrounding areas such as the Oxmoor farm. They will speak about the impacts of the past, and tie back to how it affects us now and going forward. There’s been a lot of talk of slavery and what it is and what it isn’t, but I guarantee after listening to this group�� we’ll all walk away knowing more than we did before.

UofL News: Where do you see positive/ negative movement in addressing racial justice issues?

Bradley: Positive movement is that people are feeling more empowered to take up that fight, because it is a fight when you are going against forces and groups that feel like a zero-sum game. If you have, that means I can’t have, when we can actually all have. It’s a long, tiring fight, but I am encouraged that people – Black, white, Latinx – are all willing to say no, we’re going to push back on this agenda. No, we are not going to accept that.

We’re going to continue to fight, and when they change the rules of the game, which they do, then we’ll adjust and adapt but we’ll continue to push equity and inclusion forward because it’s important.

What is negative is that for every step made to increase equitable solutions, the powers-that-be are there to knock you ten steps back. Now they’re passing legislation and controlling what goes on in the classroom and changing the narrative. They’re in powerful positions that can affect that kind of change. So that’s really discouraging, but we wouldn’t have come this far as a society, as a community, as a collective, had we just accepted other people’s agendas years ago.

Learn more about the .

Strayhorn is a professor of education and psychology, director of the Center for the Study of HBCUs and principal investigator of��The Belonging Lab��at Virginia Union University. He also serves as Diversity Scholar-in-Residence at Harrisburg Area Community College. As president and CEO of , a minority-owned business, Strayhorn partners with hundreds of colleges, universities, corporations and agencies each year to enhance culture, build inclusive environments and boost belonging.

UofL News caught up with Strayhorn to talk about his work, along with his thoughts around Juneteenth, the day commemorating��the delayed emancipation of enslaved people in the United States on June 19, 1865.

UofL News:��How has our understanding of Juneteenth shifted the past few years?

Strayhorn: The recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday is important because we give time to those things that matter. It creates a collective pause to think and reflect, certainly acknowledging the progress we’ve made as well as raise up some of the continuing challenges that we face so that we can together envision a future that’s brighter and more equal and more just. It commemorates our freedom and our ever-evolving quest toward racial justice in this country.

UofL News: It’s been said Juneteenth hopes to inspire change through vision, voice and vote. How do you see activism and engagement bringing change?

Strayhorn: We know that we have some social miseries and nightmares that disproportionately impact communities of color. Right now, with, anti-LGBTQI+ policies, state sponsored violence against Black and Brown communities, police brutality, shameful public killings of African American men and women and trans people, and people who live at the intersection of all these identities, we need to create more change. Juneteenth provides an opportunity to reflect on our progress, being honest about our current status, and then finding appropriate, effective but nonviolent ways to champion the cause of racial justice.

UofL News: In our society today, where do you see a welcome and positive intersection of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging?

Strayhorn: We need more of what we know works well in fostering conditions for racial justice, for collective healing, for sense of belonging. That inclusive environment happens at culturally diverse institutions like Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Black museums and cultural centers, and Black churches, places which have for a long time been safe havens. This is not just for Black students, but for disenfranchised white students, for first generation students, for low-income students, for international students.

In 2020, during Black Lives Matter, when the world was on fire, the people with water to help tame the flame weren’t court appointed, certified firefighters. It was the people who had fire in their belly and could speak passionately about George Floyd’s killing. It was the millennial, the Gen-Zer, who could take the mic at the rally and help us realize, wow, the future is looking pretty bright because we have some people who are reaching across the aisle and across racial divides and saying, ‘Not on my watch.’

UofL News: How can universities and students at universities best exhibit leadership in commemorating Juneteenth?

Strayhorn: What we need to bring these lessons to life are committed, courageous, socially conscious faculty, students and leaders who can champion a cause and create change.

Everybody wants to belong and it’s what we share in common because we’re human. The message of Eric Garner, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others is this implication that some people don’t belong here, and that some people’s lives don’t matter. I am profoundly committed on a personal, professional and even a spiritual and metaphysical level to fight that message and to say that we all belong here.

We’re all worthy. We are enough and never too much, but we only get there if we get there together.

Learn more and register for one of the ��sponsored by the Office of the President, Office of Institutional Equity, College of Business and the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA). Learn more on the .��

Throughout the years, the University of Louisville has been impacted by contributions of Black innovators who have paved the way for current students, faculty, staff and even future students who have big dreams for their lives.

While UofL commemorates Black History every day in spaces like Charles H. Parrish, Jr., Freedom Park and UofL Library’s guide, we will observe Black History Month in February on our social media channels by highlighting “UofL Black History Makers: Past & Present.”��

From legends like Eleanor Young Love to Woodford R. Porter, Sr., we will share stories from our archives in the spirit of keeping Black Cardinal trailblazer legacies alive. We also must uplift those in the present, because many UofL Black History Makers are still working to change the future.��

Follow along on our to see the videos, photos and stories that we’ll highlight from our archive throughout the month.

We also will share insights from departments and organizations around campus including the , and

During Black History Month, we invite the Cardinal community to express thoughts��through our story by asking: “What does Black History Month mean to you?” This page will be updated as we receive answers.��

UofL SGA President Dorian Brown was the first to answer:

UofL News: What does Black History Month mean to you?

Brown: Black History Month is important to me because it serves as a powerful reminder of the contributions of Black Americans that came before me that had an incredible impact in the fight for equality and the struggles that came with it. Black history is American history. It is a celebration of the achievements and accomplishments of the many Black Americans that paved the way for the opportunities that we have today. Without them, I would never have had the opportunity to be in the position that I am in today as UofL’s Student Body President. But we are still not where we need to be when it comes to racial equality and equal representation in the United States. Black History Month is a time to confront the injustices of the past that we still experience today.

UofL News: Who comes to mind when you think of UofL Black History Makers: Past and Present?

Brown: Marian Vasser. I had the chance to speak with Marian on multiple occasions this year and I can feel her passion and her drive as I hear her talk. I first met Marian after hearing her give a presentation at the Cultural & Equity Center and I was immediately blown away by her dedication to diversity education, inclusion and acceptance. Marian knows the truth is sometimes hard to face, but we must face them in order to move forward. With more than 29 years of diverse service at the University of Louisville, her commitment to creating environments that are more diverse and inclusive has had a direct impact on the progress that is UofL’s Black History, and she continues to be involved in the progress that still needs to be made.

By Gabrielle Lawless

United around this year’s theme of ‘Power and Policy’, organizers hope to inspire change through vision, voice and vote.

“Juneteenth is a prime example of how policy change can shift power from the oppressor to the oppressed,” said Riece Hamilton, president of the UofL Black Faculty/Staff Association. “We want the campus and community to recognize the force we have when we collectively come together for the good of all. We understand that fighting against injustice for any group of people benefits all groups of people.”

The week of events leading up to Juneteenth will kick-off with a lecture by author, activist, educator and historian who will deliver the keynote titled, “Free at Last?”

As chairperson of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, Berry led the charge for equal rights and liberties of all Americans during four U.S. presidential administrations. She also served as assistant secretary for education in the U.S. Department of Health, ����ֱ�� and Welfare.

Berry is a founder of the monumental Free South Africa Movement (FSAM), and received the Nelson Mandela award from the South African Government for her role in organizing the FSAM, raising global awareness of South African injustice that helped to end over 40 years of apartheid.

A trailblazer for women and African Americans, she became the first woman to lead a major research university as chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. She now teaches the history of American law and social policy as the Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania.

Visit the����to learn more and register for the following events:

Keynote: Mary Frances Berry
June 13, noon;
*streaming available

A panel discussion focused on Juneteenth, cash bail, and racial justice work.
June 14, noon;
*streaming available

Celebratory luncheon and Black business owners vendor fair
June 16, 11:30 a.m.; near��

A tour around campus designed to highlight historical points around UofL relative to Blacks/African Americans
June 17, noon;

Step into the narrative and take a journey through the African American experience; free admission.
June 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.;

at Burnett Avenue Church
Join us for a virtual worship service to give thanks for how far we have come and the blessings in store for the future.
June 19, 11 a.m.; virtual event��

At the Crossroads: A History of Black Health in Louisville
This exhibit explores the establishment of health care facilities by and for Black Louisvillians in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
On display now; Ekstrom Library

The Black Faculty/Staff Association along with the Commission on Diversity and Racial Equity (CODRE), Commonwealth Credit Union, Cultural Center, Office of Community Engagement, Office of Diversity and Equity, Office of the President, UofL Standing Up for Racial Justice (UofL SURJ) and various university sponsors are presenters of the second annual Juneteenth week of ‘Power and Policy’.

“This week should be a reminder that the people hold the power now and forever; it is what we do with it that matters,” Hamilton said.