As Rose-Hulman shared in an internal announcement to the campus community during the spring quarter, beginning this year and each year thereafter, it will celebrate Juneteenth as an official campus holiday.

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, celebrates the date in 1865 when all enslaved African Americans in the U.S. were officially emancipated.

Because June 19 falls on a Sunday this year, Rose-Hulman will be closed Monday, June 20, observance of the holiday. 

Rose-Hulman’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion is partnering with several community organizations throughout the week to help commemorate the day.

“Our addition of Juneteenth as an official Institute holiday is just one more step in our ongoing journey toward equity and inclusion for all,” said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “While we know we still have much work to do, I continue to be proud of the strides we have made as an institution in our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, and remain confident that we can and will continue to make a positive impact in these areas.”