Juneteenth: A day on, not a day off

"What can I do?"

The question looms more urgently than ever.

Recent events have reawakened Americans to the tragedy of long-suffered racial injustice. And as the University of Cincinnati marks Juneteenth — a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans at the end of the Civil War — alumni and donors rightly wonder: What can I do?

UC places a priority on diversity initiatives, which also include the African American Cultural Resource Center, LGBTQ Center, Women’s Center and Ethnic Programs and Services. “The University offers this suite of resources for students who are looking to find their home within the university,” Gibson says. “After graduating, many students who came from marginalized communities will point to one of these centers and say, 'This is the office that got me through, that charted my path from being a wide-eyed, intimidated student to being a confident, well-prepared graduate.'"

For Gibson, Juneteenth is a bittersweet occasion. “My mind’s eye takes me back to that time when my ancestors get the news that they are going to be free,” he says. “They’re very excited but also skeptical. You can imagine them picking up what very little they had and just walking off. They would be nervous: Is this really happening? Am I going to be pulled right back? And the bitter part is that while one institution ended, another — Jim Crow — began. We’re still seeing vestiges of Jim Crow today.”

While many Black families and individuals have long celebrated Juneteenth, Gibson notes that the occasion really “became part of the American social-political lexicon” last year around the civil unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. As a result, many businesses and institutions, including UC, are doing more to acknowledge this poignant point in history. Gibson hopes that the occasion sparks conversation while providing UC alumni, friends and donors with an opportunity to support programs and scholarships that positively affect students of color. In short, Gibson envisions Juneteenth as “a day on, not a day off.”

Make an impact by supporting students

At UC, part of our mission is to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion thrive. One way to do that is by giving to programs and scholarships which support UC students of color. As we look ahead to Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, you can join other Bearcats in empowering UC students from underrepresented populations.

Manning invites donors to help “bring more kids who need support to UC,” while thanking donors for “believing in us and what we can do.”

A gift, Gibson stresses, should come “from the kindness of your heart” and needn’t be a king’s ransom. To alumni, he says, “If you had a positive experience, this is the absolute best time to come back home and re-engage and give whatever you have so that other students are also able to have that positive experience. And if you did not have a favorable experience, this is also the best time to make that investment and join a team of people working to improve the student experience at UC. By making that initial gift, you are demonstrating what’s important to you and enabling UC to use these funds to change the lives of students of color.”

For information about supporting underrepresented students at UC, contact Jaime Bitzenhofer, Director of Annual Giving.