On June 18th, the day before Furman’s university holiday to mark Juneteenth, several Furman faculty and staff gathered on the front porch of the library to host Furman’s first campus-wide commemoration of Juneteenth. As the summer session’s only CLP event, it was attended by over 60 people on a hot summer day, with everyone pausing for fruit and yogurt after the event.
Planning for this event began in the spring semester with contributions from several faculty across the university, including the Libraries’ Dr. Nashieli Marcano. Dr. Cynthia King, Furman’s Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence opened the CLP and welcomed everyone. The Libraries’ Robyn Andrews provided some historical background on Juneteenth. Dr. Holly Pinheiro of the Furman History Department spoke about the impact of Black military service in the Civil War and the role of Juneteenth in Black American memory. The Libraries’ Dr. Jeffrey Makala concluded with some thoughts on Furman’s racial history and how it is necessary to create new traditions and rituals at Furman that reflect our values.