In 2022, we will commemorate Juneteenth here at JCU with three community programs during the week of June 20, for our community to learn about the significance of this day and to engage more deeply in the ongoing work of ensuring that all people experience freedom and dignity.
All students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in any or all of the following programs:
Juneteenth Week Lunch and Learn: Smithsonian Museum of African American History & Culture - virtual tour and discussion Date: Tuesday, June 21 Time: 12:00-1:00 pm Location: O'Dea Room, Lombardo Student Center
Juneteenth @ Tower Time Date: Wednesday, June 22 Time: 2:00-2:45 pm Location: Dolan Science Center Terrace (rain location - DSC Atrium)
Juneteenth Week Breakfast Discussion: 13th Date: Thursday, June 23 Time: 9:00-11:00 am Location: TBD
See descriptions and register for events here: https://jcu.edu/form/juneteenth-2022-events.
The following are a few curated materials we have collected as starting points to guide your own reflections on Juneteenth:
On the history of Juneteenth:
- LISTEN -- 'On Juneteenth' Historian Examines The 'Hope' And 'Hostility' Toward Emancipation - NPR interview with Annette Gordon-Reed
- READ -- What is Juneteenth? by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- WATCH -- Juneteenth Jamboree -- Archive of annual programs from PBS in Austin, TX illuminating the significance of the Juneteenth holiday and sharing stories about Black culture and history in a spirit of celebration.
- REFLECT -- "Words for You" -- powerful spoken-word piece about Juneteenth from slam poet Ben Aragbaye.
On whiteness in a racialized society:
- LISTEN -- Seeing White -- this series is Season 2 of the popular podcast "Scene on Radio." It features a series of conversations about our society's construction and understanding of whiteness as a racial category. Choose one and dig in.
- WATCH -- "Why are White People So Bad at Talking About Race?" (6:29) -- a brief interview with Robin DiAngelo, author of the book White Fragility: Why it's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism.
- READ -- Peggy Macintosh, "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," 1988 -- a classic text for teaching about privilege. Short reflection about making visible the privileges white skin can confer in a racialized society.
- REFLECT -- An Examen for White Allies -- this reflection draws upon the Ignatian custom of praying the daily Examen to draw aspiring white allies into deeper consideration of their role in racial justice. Published June 3 by the Ignatian Solidarity Network.
Voices and narratives about the experience of racism:
- LISTEN -- Come Through with Rebecca Carroll - this podcast series from WNYC features "15 essential conversations on race." Consider particularly Episode 8, "Call it a Lynching," which features Elie Mystal speaking about the murder of Ahmaud Arbery this past February.
- READ -- Walking While Black -- by Garnette Cadogan. Literary Hub, 2016. A powerful personal essay about daily life in a city as a Black man.
- REFLECT -- Kyla Lacey reads her poem "White Privilege" (3:46) -- powerful spoken-word performance (content warning: strong language)
(Some of) our faith traditions on racial justice:
- LISTEN: On Being with Krista Tippet: Podcast episode -- "The World is Our Field of Practice" -- Black Zen master angel Kyodo williams speaks about race, liberation and Buddhism.
- READ: "The Assumptions of White Privilege and What We Can Do About It" by Fr. Bryan Massingale. National Catholic Reporter, June 1, 2020. A Black Catholic priest calls upon white Catholics to confront their own racist assumptions and behaviors.
- REFLECT: "When Protest Becomes Prayer," Renee Darline Roden, America, June 5, 2020 - a Catholic theological reflection on engaging in protest as a form of liturgy and prayer.
- WATCH: Interfaith Prayer Service | Catholic Diocese of Cleveland (21:56): Prayers for racial justice from representatives of many faith traditions across Northeast Ohio, including Dr. Zeki Saritoprak, Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at JCU (7:44-11:12).
- LEARN MORE and DIG DEEPER:
On celebration and joy:
- READ -- "Why You Should Celebrate Black Joy on Juneteenth and Every Day" blog post by Ann-Katherine Kimble, June 16, 2020.
- EAT -- "A Juneteenth of Joy and Resistance," interviews with (and recipes from) several Black chefs about their Juneteenth celebrations and menus in a time of uncertainty. Nicole Taylor, New York Times, June 16, 2020.
- REFLECT -- Juneteenth: Don't Delay your Liberation by Lyvonne Briggs. 3 day devotional on Black liberation from a Christian perspective. (Requires paid subscription.)
- REFLECT -- two poems about Juneteenth from Kristina Kay: "Keep in Your Heart the Blood" and "We Rose"
Films on Kanopy:
All JCU community members have access to the Kanopy streaming digital movie library through Grasselli Library & Breen Learning Center. You can log on and create an account at johncarroll.kanopy.com.
When you log on, you will see that there are several films addressing racism in America featured on Kanopy's home page at the moment. A few you might consider:
- Race, the Power of an Illusion - 3 part series explaining the science (and psuedoscience) underlying our ideas about race.
- I Am Not Your Negro: James Baldwin and Race in America - Oscar-nominated documentary connecting the Civil Rights movement, the work of towering literary figure James Baldwin, and the current movement for Black lives.
- The Talk: Race in America -- PBS documentary about the conversations between parents and their Black children all over this country about what to do if stopped by police.
- Dispatches from Cleveland -- documentary about community organizing and activism in Cleveland in response to the murder of Tamir Rice by police in 2014.
University Heights Juneteenth Celebration:
- Sunday, June 19, 2022, 1:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Walter Stinson Community Park | 2301 Fenwick Rd. University Heights, OH, 44118. Performers at the inaugural University Heights Juneteenth Celebration will include the All City Choir, DJ Marcus Alan Ward, local poets including Raja Belle Freeman, dancers, and a concert from Forecast. Local Black fraternities and sororities will participate. The emcee for the event will be Kierra Cotton from WKYC.
Other local events:
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Cleveland Juneteenth Freedom Fest: Saturday, June 18 from 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm on Mall C in the heart of Downtown Cleveland, the city-wide, family-friendly celebration and commemoration of Juneteenth will feature a mainstage performance by Karamu House, the country’s oldest Black producing theatre and a fireworks finale.
Festivities will also include a vendor village to spotlight Black businesses and entrepreneurs; community programming and education, spoken-word performances, interactive art demonstrations, food trucks, and beverage concessions.
- Lake County NAACP Freedom Fest: June 18, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Veterans Park, 1 Liberty St, Painesville, OH. The formal commemorative program will be held from 11AM – 12PM and will include a performance by Women in History, Robin Echols Cooper, as Sojourner Truth, as well as speeches by local youth winners of the "Stop The Hate" essay contest. There will be a variety of Lake County businesses and organizations with booths setup in the park along with a beer booth, food vendors and music through the afternoon.
March 26, 2021 - National Day of Action and Healing #StopAsianHate - learn how to support and take action here.
Articles
- TIME: Donating, Volunteering, Reporting Hate Incidents: Here's How to Help Combat Anti-Asian Violence
- National Geographic: America’s long history of scapegoating its Asian citizens
- The Undefeated: Why we must talk about the Asian-American story, too
- Boston University: How to Help Fight Anti-Asian Racism and Xenophobia
- McKinsey: COVID-19 and advancing Asian American Recovery
- UC Berkeley: In times of crisis, anti-Asian violence is an American tradition
Books
- Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
- They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
- A Different Mirror by Ronald Takaki
Documentaries & Videos
- documentary.org: Documentaries to Watch for Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month
- #AsianAmCovidStories
- PBS: Asian Americans (now free to stream)
- Daniel Dae Kim on Anti-Asian Violence
- The difference between being “not racist” and antiracist
Podcasts
- Self Evident: Self Evident is where we tell Asian America’s stories to explore what it really means to claim America today. Each episode presents an in-depth story or conversation from specific communities within the Asian diasporas in America.
- Moonface: A fiction show about a Korean American son (Joel Kim Booster) who wants to come out to his mom (Esther Moon), but can't because they don't speak the same language.
Websites
- Resources to Combat Anti-Asian Racism
- AAJC - Asian Americans Advancing Justice / Atlanta
- NAPABA Hate Crime Resources
- PBS: Anti-AAPI History
- Harvard U: Anti-Asian Racism Resources
Allyship
- California Legislative Proposal: Racism
- Guide to Bystander Intervention
- Children’s Book on Anti-AAPI Racism
- USA Today: How to be an Ally
- AAAJ: Free Bystander Intervention Training
- Race Implicit Association Test
Report an Incident
Recent articles from our DEI division staff:
- How to Get Started in Racial Equity Work: Plant a Justice T.R.E.E.E. by Dr. Tiffany Galvin Green and Megan Wilson-Reitz
- What Can You Do About That Racist Uncle? — Try A S.P.R.O.U.T. Approach To Resistance by Dr. Tiffany Galvin Green and Megan Wilson-Reitz
University statements and other materials:
- President's Statement on Racial Equity and Violence: A letter from Dr. Michael Johnson, University President
- Black Lives Matter and the Future of Our Country: A letter from Dr. Philip Metres, Director of the Program in Peace, Justice and Human Rights
- Community Meeting Slideshow: From the JCU Community Meeting led by CSDI, June 3, 2020
- Racism & Privilege Unit Key Articles Compiled by James T. Bretzke, S.J., Professor of Theology, John Carroll University
- Ignatian Solidarity Network - Faith in Action: Responding to Racial Injustice - videos, reflections, articles, links and other resources from our friends and partners at ISN.
- Jesuit Institutions Advocate for Racial Justice -- Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
- Statement of U.S. Bishops’ President on George Floyd and the Protests in American Cities 5/31/2020
Prayer and Reflection:
Videos:
- How the church can combat racism and white privilege | Behind the Story (25:04): America Magazine video interview with Father Bryan Massingale, author of “Racial Justice and the Catholic Church” and Professor of Theology at Fordham University.
- Interfaith Prayer Service | Catholic Diocese of Cleveland (21:56): Prayers for racial justice from representatives of many faith traditions across Northeast Ohio, including Dr. Zeki Saritoprak, Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at JCU (7:44-11:12).
News articles:
- National Catholic Reporter 6/4/2020 - El Paso's Bishop Mark Seitz: Black lives matter
- National Catholic Reporter 6/3/2020 - Black in America: I am Tired
- National Public Radio 6/3/2020 - Pope Francis Prays for George Floyd, Decries the ‘Sin of Racism’’
- America Magazine 6/1/2020 - Black people are crying out for their breath. When will they be heard?
- America Magazine 6/1/2020 - To Fight Racism, Catholics Must Hunger for Justice Like We Do for the Eucharist
- National Catholic Reporter 5/31/2020 - Fr. Bryan Massingale: The Assumptions of White Privilege and What We Can Do About It
In the classroom:
- Inside Higher Ed 7/1/2020 -- Viji Sathy, Kelly A. Hogan and Calvin M. Sims, "A Dozen-Plus Ways You Can Foster Educational Equity."
- Chronicle of Higher Education 6/20/2020 -- Beth McMurtrie, "'We Can't Ignore this Issue:' How to Talk with Students about Racism"
In the workplace:
- Checking Your Blind Spot: Ways to find and fix unconscious bias
- Forbes 6/30/2020 - Inclusion, Not Only Diversity, Should be the Goal if We Want an Equitable Workplace
- CNBC 6/3/2020 - 5 ways to start being a better ally for your black coworkers
- New York Times 6/2/2020 - On Black People and Mental Health During Our Current Times
- Black Lives Matter - Now what? (Recognizing how to use positive deviance to impact change)
Are you trying to figure out good ways to start the conversation about race and racial justice with people in your life? If this is the first time you have had these conversations, the following resources might help:
- 9 Tips for Conversations about Race - DEI Division "tip card" based on Ijeoma Oluo's book So You Want to Talk about Race.
- "6 Guidelines I've Learned for Talking About Race" - article from a religious perspective. Jesuit Post, 6/9/2020
- Talking About Race - Terrific web resources from the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture
Videos:
- Ijeoma Oluo, "Talking About Race and Racism" (8:03)
- Megan Ming Francis - TEDx Talk "Let's Get to the Root of Racial Injustice" (19:37)
- Francesca Ramsey - YouTube videos "5 Things You Should Know about Racism" (6:17) and "5 Tips for Being an Ally" (3:31).
Looking for a book to read to learn more? We've got you covered:
Podcasts recommended by our community members:
- Code Switch - podcast from NPR that tackles the subject of race head-on. Hosted by journalists of color who explore how race impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between.
- Freedom Road Podcast brings together national faith leaders, advocates, and front-lines activists for candid conversations about the pressing issues of our times.
- 1619 Project - audio series from the New York Times on how slavery has transformed America, connecting past and present through the oldest form of storytelling.
- The New York Times has pulled together the following list of "Podcasts to Understand This Moment" (published June 6, 2020)
- The popular podcast On Being with Krista Tippett featured a terrific conversation between Robin DiAngelo and Resmaa Menakem (July 9, 2020) about racial trauma and white fragility.
- Brene Brown's podcast Unlocking Us featured a powerful interview with Austin Channing Brown, author of I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness (June 10, 2020).
Arts:
Looking for more? The following resource guides include many films, books, articles and more:
-
The University of Minnesota Press has made their collection of antiracist books available to all to read online for free through August 31, 2020.
- "10 Things You Can Do to Be an Ally" - infographic from the YWCA
- "Being Antiracist" - helpful tools and resources from the Smithsonian National Musem of African-American History and Culture.
- "11-Step Guide to Understanding Race, Racism and White Privilege" -- step-by-step process with readings, videos, and other tools for deepening engagement with the work.
- "75 Things White People can do for Racial Justice" - this Medium post has some great ideas for action.
- "White Allyship 101: Resources to Get to Work" - this collection of resources by the Dismantle Collective has videos, articles, and books, among other things.
We have collaborated with the Staff Council Working Parents & Guardians ERG to compile the following resources for children:
- How to Discuss Racism with Teens - interview with Dr. Kristin Carothers
- "Embrace Race" - good resources for parents, including two recent webinars:
- Sesame Street and CNN town hall "Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism" aired Saturday, 6/8. It is available online and can serve as a good conversation starter for young children.
- Large resource guide (Google doc) for parents, children and educators.
- Antiracist Resources and Reads for all ages from the School Library Journal
- Crowdsourced Twitter thread of children's books that address race and racism
- Many of these are online for ebook download at the Cuyahoga County Public Library website.
For those processing trauma, grief, or fear because of what is happening in the world, we see you and we support you. Please take advantage of available resources:
- Staff Council's Employee Resource Groups provide a place for staff (and in some cases, faculty as well) to come together in a safe and supportive environment with others. Contact ERG leaders to find out more about their work.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP): All employees of JCU (full and part-time) are eligible for support services (counseling, legal assistance, resources, referrals and more) through our EAP, Impact Solutions. Most services are available at no charge to the employee. JCU's company code is jcueap.
- University Counseling Center: Provides support services to students during the academic year. For referrals to other services during the summer months, see additional links on their website.
- Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion: Our CSDI staff is available to help students access resources, support services, peer connections, and educational opportunities throughout the year.
- Campus Ministry: John Carroll’s Campus Ministry department is available to offer spiritual support and reflection to those of all faiths and no faith. Stay in the loop by signing up for the daily Speedbumps and Campus Ministry e-bulletin.
We are here for you!
If you have ideas, questions, or other resource needs, please drop them into our Suggestion Box.