Rollins Declares Juneteenth an Observed Holiday

Rollins College President Grant Cornwell announced that beginning June 19, 2020, the College will recognize Juneteenth as a campus-wide holiday. The holiday commemorates the reading of federal orders in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, proclaiming all slaves in Texas were finally free. The orders came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, ending Confederacy holdouts once and for all. Celebrations of Juneteenth date back to 1866, and activists have long called for the day to be recognized as a national holiday.

Writing to the Rollins community, Cornwell says, “Rollins will energetically join the national movement asserting that Black Lives Matter by declaring Juneteenth an observed holiday moving forward. I hope this occasion, commemorating the abolition of slavery, can be a time of reflection, learning, and reckoning with our nation’s history.”

To commemorate Juneteenth, here is a list of resources and events happening in the community.

Community Events

Hannibal Square: 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration Event

Presented by the Hannibal Square Community Land Trust

June 19 at 7 p.m.

Watch via Facebook Live and YouTube
Imagining Freedom: Black Community and Creating Place with Dr. Julian Chambliss and Dr. Scot French

Honoring Juneteenth – Virtual Series

Presented by the Hannibal Square Heritage Center in partnership with Winter Park Library

June 20 at 7 p.m.
Across The Tracks: A Collective History of Black Churches of Winter Park by Dr. Rebekah McCloud

June 27 at 7 p.m.
The History of Juneteenth by Lonnie Bunch, founding director of the African American Museum of History & Culture (AAMHC) 

2020 Juneteenth Community Celebration
June 19 from 3 – 8 p.m.

Juneteenth: Knowing & Remembering
June 20 from noon – 1 p.m.
Watch on Facebook Live

• The History of Juneteenth hosted by Barbara Chandler from Hannibal Square Heritage Center and Dr. Ruth Edwards from Winter Park Library
• Community history of Deland
• Tour the exhibit: Storytellers 18: See Through Our Eyes with Peter Schreyer
• Deland Teens Give Insight Into Their Changing World

Racial Justice at Rollins

At Rollins, we’re committed to doing our part to advance racial justice. We’re here to learn, to listen, to convene, to create space for all voices to be heard, and to be part of the solutions.
Explore Racial Justice Resources