Juneteenth Celebration in Rohnert Park

Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 4:30pm

TO: Campus Community
FR: Karen Moranski, Ph.D., Provost
       Jerlena Griffin-Desta, Ph.D., Chief of Staff & Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Diversity
 
Dear Campus Community,

We are excited to announce that the City of Rohnert Park and Sonoma State University are partnering to host the inaugural Juneteenth Luncheon: Celebrating Freedom and Honoring Progress, Monday, June 19, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Rohnert Park Community Center. All Sonoma State employees and students working and living on campus are invited to attend this free event.

Juneteenth commemorates the freedom of enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas in 1865, which came two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Come hear our very own Dr. Kim Hester-Williams speak on the significance of Juneteenth and its implications for today.  

We will also acknowledge the achievements and contributions of African Americans in Sonoma County by honoring two distinguished individuals who have made a significant impact in our community: SSU Alum Kirstyne Lange, President of the Santa Rosa-Sonoma County Branch of the NAACP, and Petty Officer Terrence Young of the United States Coast Guard. As a CSU holiday, this event is a good way to honor and celebrate Juneteenth with our colleagues, neighbors, and friends. Please RSVP for the event.

While for the first time in the CSU Juneteenth is an official holiday, we want to acknowledge that Black Americans have been celebrating this day for many decades. We encourage all students, faculty, staff, and alumni to participate in one of the Juneteenth events listed on the DEI website. We look forward to seeing you as we celebrate the history, culture and legacy of Black Americans, and the impact they have had in shaping our state and our region.