06/19/2026
🎉 Happy Juneteenth from WUSC!
On June 19th, 1865, the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas received the news that they were free following President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863 and declared a formal end to slavery in the United States. However, the implementation was not immediate, and it took over two full years for all enslaved people to receive notification of their freedom.
On this day, WUSC celebrates a milestone on the road to equity for all in our country while acknowledging the effort that we must put in to continuously improve the society we live in today.
If you’re in Columbia, some events that you can attend today include Juneteenth at the Columbia Museum of Art, Juneteenth on the River, and Juneteenth in the Park.