SLU Recognizes Juneteenth as a University Holiday

ST. LOUIS (June 17) — For the first time, Saint Louis University will observe Juneteenth as an official University holiday. Because June 19 falls on a Saturday this year, it will be recognized on Friday, June 18. The news was announced by University leaders in May.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when more than a quarter-million enslaved people living in the former Confederate state of Texas learned from arriving Union troops that they were free by presidential decree, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. 

In addition to observing the holiday on Friday, the University plans to fly Juneteenth flags over the weekend in several key areas around campus, including Busch Student Center, the Center for Global Citizenship, Chaifetz Arena and Doisy Research Center.

In a message to the campus community this week, the University’s Office for Diversity and Community Engagement issued a call to action for staff, faculty and students to engage in dialogue and efforts toward ending institutional, structural and interpersonal racism. 

The office also encouraged members of the SLU community to support local, Black-owned businesses and shared information about a new Juneteenth celebration and resource fair that will be held in the city’s Old North St. Louis neighborhood.