Dear campus community,
June 2020 continues to be a month filled with surprises. Recently, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an Executive Order recognizing June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, as a paid holiday for all New York State employees. He intends to introduce legislation next year making it an official state holiday.
Many of you may be asking “what is Juneteenth?” It is a holiday that originated in Texas to commemorate that slaves in Texas were free. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation; however, it was not until two years later that African Americans across the state of Texas were made aware of their right to freedom. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas with federal troops to read General Order No. 3 announcing the end of the Civil War and that all enslaved were now free.
Although these incidents occurred 157 years ago, the legacy of systemic racism lives with us today. I share these thoughts to remind us that although the college is offering diversity and inclusion workshops, trainings, and providing educational resources, this is not enough.
The social climate is changing rapidly and as an institution, if we are not keeping up with these changes, we may find ourselves on the wrong side of history. Now is not the time to revert back to antiquated customs. If we are truly committed to inclusivity on our campus, then we must embrace these changes.
I ask that we all come together and be the change we want to see in the world and not revert back to what makes us comfortable. Embrace the change.
Thank you,
Ainsley Thomas
Chief Diversity Officer
Published: Fri, 19 Jun 2020 12:15:49 +0000 by a.thomas1