Juneteenth Celebration

Juneteenth flag: red, black, green stripes reading Juneteenth in gold.

Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

Also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day and America’s “second Independence Day,” Juneteenth can mean different things to different people.

It can be a time to celebrate with family and friends. But it can also be a time to reflect on the work that remains to be done addressing institutional racism and systemic inequality.

What Do We Really Celebrate On Juneteenth?

Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger informed enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War had ended and they were finally free.

Granger’s news came two months after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House and more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

It has been 158 years since this victory, yet we are still fighting racism and other struggles related to inequality and injustice. This holiday remind us that our work is not yet done.

Juneteenth Festival Celebration in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo is the second city of massive Juneteenth Celebration after Galveston, Texas.

The Jacobs School is proud to be participating in the Juneteenth Festival again this year. Through collaborations with several departments and student groups, our presence at the festival will include important activities aimed at engaging the community in learning about CPR, accessing cancer screenings, providing youth with information about careers in medicine and biomedical sciences, and so much more!

To learn how to get involved, contact the Office of Inclusion and Cultural Enhancement at smbs-inclusion@buffalo.edu.

Learn more about Juneteenth Festival in Buffalo, NY

March with us at Juneteenth Festival’s parade

What Does Juneteenth Mean at the Jacobs School?

We asked members of the Jacobs School community: “What does Juneteenth mean to you?”

Here are the perspectives they shared:

“Celebrating diversity and inclusion should always be priorities. Juneteenth and Pride Month, which also falls in June, remind us to condemn oppression and advance racial and social equity within our university and our communities.”

8/24/26

Allison Brashear, MD, MBA

Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

“Juneteenth is a reminder that in the founding of this country, there was the simultaneous foundation of different realities of living in it based on the concept of freedom. While I celebrate the landmark that is freedom from ownership and the Black culture that grew from mass displacement, I remain cognizant that I live in an America that is different from many of my peers, and we are still far from ensuring that Black people get to experience the same freedoms as our white counterparts.”

7/23/26

Sydney Johnson

Medical student

“Juneteenth to me is a reminder to meaningfully respect the dignity of fellow human beings so that everyone is truly seen and heard. It is a reminder to evoke the principles of liberty and justice for all that are needed to build a just and equitable society. It is a reminder of the painfully slow progress towards racial equity, in particular for Black Americans, since June 19, 1865, and the urgency to warp speed the efforts at both individual and systemic levels.”

7/23/26

Archana Mishra, MD

Clinical associate professor of medicine

“Juneteenth is a day of remembrance but also a day of hope. Hope for the present and for the future of African Americans nationwide. We have a purpose in this world and must continue to fight for our youth in creating change. We remain a critical part in building this nation and in building its future.”

7/23/26

Ifeoma Ezeilo

Medical student

“Juneteenth is a day to reflect and celebrate the freedom enslaved Black people fought for. As we celebrate, it is important to remember how much work there still needs to be done in combating systemic racism in America. My objective is to address health disparities and continue the fight against racism in medicine.”

7/23/26

Kwaku Bonsu

Medical student and UB alumnus

“On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, approximately 250,000 slaves found out they were finally free. To me, Juneteenth represents: 1. resiliency, 2. hopefulness and 3. a time for everyone to reflect on the disadvantages that many have faced in this country and what we are doing to ensure that there will be change.”

7/23/26

Shawn Gibson

Medical student and UB alumnus

“Juneteenth is quintessentially American. It provides us an opportunity to recognize our country’s past sins and the determination of many to right these wrongs. Understanding this history is as important as ever, as the legacy and institutions of racism still exist for African Americans in many forms. I am hopeful that we continue to strive for equality and learn lessons from this historic day, to advance justice for our community that shows that Buffalo will overcome evil, as this day signifies. ”

7/23/26

Murad Ali, MD

Internal medicine resident

”While Juneteenth represents a celebration of freedom from slavery, it also signifies acknowledgement of the terrible history of African American enslavement in our country. It serves as a reminder and call to action to continually fight for freedom against racism and discrimination every day of the year.”

7/23/26

Sarah J. Ventre, MD

Clinical assistant professor of pediatrics

“Juneteenth is an important occasion to realize and cherish the oneness of all humanity and to remember to treat all our fellow human beings with respect and dignity. It is also a reminder of how much work remains to achieve true equality — as evidenced by the recent shooting in our local community and by health care disparities and other disparities. Let us celebrate, but also move forward, together.”

7/23/26

Satpal Singh, PhD

Professor of pharmacology and toxicology

“For me, Juneteeenth is a grand celebration of the multifaceted beauty of Black American culture, a vibrant, resilient culture that has continued to thrive despite chattel slavery, Jim Crow laws, mass incarceration, and other forms of contemporary racism.”

7/23/26

Schuyler Lawson

Doctoral student in the School of Public Health and Health Professions; project coordinator of HEROIC; UB alumnus

“Juneteenth means to me that history is not found solely in books. It can be unveiled from a plethora of voices. Juneteenth opened the door to a significant truth in American history, and it’s an honor to celebrate it.”

7/23/26

Maria Wilson

Inclusive excellence workforce specialist in the Office of Inclusion and Cultural Enhancement

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Points to Highlight During this Holiday

Emancipation Proclamation 1863

President Abraham Lincoln declared that all slaves in the states currently engaged in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” This document applied only to enslaved people in the Confederacy, but it definitively contributed to the subsequent abolition of slavery.

13th Amendment 1863-1865

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution formally abolished slavery in the United States. It states that: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Although this was done in 1865, it still took two additional amendments to get increased rights granted by the 1791 Bill of Rights to former slaves — and their right to vote in 1870.

Juneteenth - June 19, 1965

Juneteenth is considered the Second United States Celebration of Independence by the Black community.

Greenwood District 1900-1942

Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Greenwood District also knows as “Black Wall Street” began to emerge as a vibrant and successful economy and was recognized as a Black entrepenurial business center led by African American entrepenuers. This vibrant space was destroyed in 1921 due to social and economic tension, but it was rebuilt and thriving by 1942.

Civil Rights Movement 1955

The Civil Rights Movement sparked after Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white man on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Then Martin Luther King Jr. founded the Montgomery Improvement Association — and after, he became the leader of the Civil Rights Movement. It was an empowering time for Black Americans. Civil Right Acts Legislations were approved in regards to:

the end of segregation laws
equal employment opportunities
the ban of voter literacy tests
fair housing

Black Panther Party 1966

Originally called Black Panther Party for Self Defense, this party was created to patrol African American neighborhoods to protect residents from acts of police brutality. In time, it transformed into an organization that advocated for social reforms. They campaigned for prison reform, held voter registration drives, organized free food programs and opened free health clinics. Shortly after, violence within the party precipitated a major downfall.

Black Lives Matter 2013

Black Lives Matter was initiated in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin back in 2012. From that point it grew as a national and worldwide movement and has spearheaded demonstrations protesting police brutality and systematic racism that overwhelmingly impact the Black community.

Juneteenth Proclaimed Official Holiday in 2021

President Joe Biden signed a bill on 2021 making June 19 — Juneteenth — a federal holiday.

Reflecting on the Past

Take a minute to reflect on how far we have come, and at the same time, how much more we need to achieve. Let’s not forget these figures who helped shape the accomplishments of activism.