Dear fellow members of the Columbia community,
The University Senate has passed a resolution designating Juneteenth as an official University Holiday. Juneteenth will be added to the University holiday calendar for this year and moving forward.
This year, Monday, June 19, 2023, will be a University holiday. The day commemorates the end of slavery in the United States by honoring the events of June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African Americans that they were free, and the Civil War was over. Learn more about Juneteenth.
Observing Juneteenth is the opportunity for us to come together as a community to recognize and celebrate the importance of this day, to honor and acknowledge the experiences of all those who have endured racism and discrimination, to commit ourselves to advancing the dreams of freedom this holiday represents, and to renew our collective commitment to ideals of freedom.
Thank you,
Dan Driscoll
Vice President
Columbia University Human Resources
