Editor’s note: This is part of a monthly series of campus updates on diversity, equity and inclusion that will continue throughout the year.
University, city of Boulder celebrate Juneteenth
The Juneteenth Flag flies below the Stars and Stripes during a flag-raising ceremony at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building in Boulder. (Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado)
From left:ÌýPhilip DiStefano, chancellor of ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder; Junie Joseph, Boulder city councilwoman; and Sonia DeLuca Fernández, senior vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder, chat before a June 17 raising of the Juneteenth flag at the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building in Boulder. (Photo by Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado)
¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder and city of Boulder leaders and residents gathered on June 17 for a flag-raising ceremony to mark Juneteenth, Colorado’s newest official state holiday.
Chancellor Philip DiStefano and Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sonia DeLuca Fernández were among the university and community leaders in attendance.
Earlier this month, ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder critical ethnic studies doctoral student Shawn Trenell O’Neal spoke about during a June 8 meeting of the Boulder Chamber’s Business Women’s Leadership Group.
, traditionally celebrated on June 19, recognizes and celebrates the freedom and self-determination of African Americans and the end of slavery following the Civil War. It became in 2021, providing all Americans with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the nation’s collective and diverse history.
°ä´Ç±ô´Ç°ù²¹»å´ÇÌý in May designating Juneteenth an official state holiday, recognizing the importance of the date, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and the second Independence Day.
For the 2022 fiscal year, qualifying university employees are eligible to take a personal observance day to mark Juneteenth before Dec. 31 in consultation with supervisors. Learn more about Juneteenth asÌýa floating holiday and how it willÌýimpact the campus community.
Read more:ÌýFour things to know about Juneteenth
Celebrating LGBTQ+ Pride in June—and all year long
¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉäPD Chief of Police Doreen Jokerst, Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs JB Banks, and Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold celebrate Pride Month at a recent Boulder County Pride Week event.
Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold, left, and ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉäPD Police Chief Doreen Jokerst gather with members of the Boulder community during a parade to mark Pride Week, June 6–12.
Pride Month occurs each June to honor the and to celebrate the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals across the United States.
However, recognizing and supporting students, staff and faculty who identify as LGBTQ+ is a yearlong commitment at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder, and the campus offers services and resources for anyone who needs support, wants to connect with others or would like to learn more about LGBTQ+ history, communities, resources and activities on campus and beyond.
Campus resources and support services are available to students, staff and faculty through the university’s Pride Office in the Center for Inclusion and Social Change.
University Libraries offers a Pride Month research guide for campus community members who want to connect with local LGBTQ+ organizations, attend local programming, become an ally or learn more about LBGTQ+ history and communities.
Beyond the campus, Boulder County marked Pride Month June 6–12, a celebration that drew the participation of ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder community members and campus leaders.
In addition, ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä was among the dozens of sponsors of the annual Denver PrideFest June 23–26, which included a parade, a 5K race, a rally and other activities.
According to , Denver PrideFest, which drew 525,000 people in 2019, hosts the sixth-largest Pride celebration in the United States after New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and Houston. New York City held the largest WorldPride festival in 2019, drawing an estimated 5 million people.
Read more:Ìý
UndocuAlly sessions set for the summer
The Center for Inclusion and Social Change has scheduled summer UndocuAlly Zoom sessions for staff, faculty and students with administrative or teaching roles.
Participants will learn more about the makeup of the campus’s undocumented community and the history of U.S. immigration and gain a greater understanding of the challenges, opportunities and resources available to undocumented students.
Participants will also learn more about the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals () and Colorado’s Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow () and how these programs affect ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder students.
The remaining summer session will take place from noon to 2 p.m. on July 22.
More information about how to register is available on the ODECE website.
Sustaining our practice of inclusion
Campus efforts and investments to address pressing and painful inequities at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder are only a beginning. Creating a culture of belonging will take each member of our community practicing sustained personal work to truly embrace and support diverse perspectives and identities in our community.
This year, Chancellor Philip DiStefano and other campus leaders urge every member of our community to join in learning more about diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism and to work continuously together to address these challenges more actively and in ways that can help authentically transform our campus culture in the coming year.
Campus resources
- Center for African and African American Studies (CAAAS): Provides a focal point for Black community and culture at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder and a multipurpose space where scholars, students, artists, activists and allies come together to study Africa, African Americans, and the African diaspora. to learn more.
- Center for Asian Studies: Strives to be a space of community, curiosity and respectful engagement with Asia, views the area studies endeavor as a necessary yet distinct complement to disciplinary knowledge, and recognizes the historic and geographic centrality that Asia has and continues to play in the human venture.
- Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS): Promotes collaborative research focusing on local and global Indigenous knowledge and fosters projects that aspire to open conversations in Colorado and the world.
- Center for Teaching and Learning: Offers programs focused on creating inclusive classrooms and supports ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä’s community of educators through free consultations, teaching resources, programs, seminars, workshops and other events.
- ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder History Project: Seeks to share ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder’s history based on intersectional perspectives to demonstrate our commitment to inclusive excellence and to deepen our institutional memory.
- Latin American Studies Center: Provides an institutional space for research, teaching and discussion on Latin America and Latinx/Latina/Latino studies.
- Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement: Supports programming, events and campuswide initiatives for students, faculty and staff that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Subscribe to the office’s newsletter to learn more.
- Research and Innovation Office (RIO): Offers resources focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion in research and innovation.
- : Provides a rich assortment of diverse reading materials and other resources, events and initiatives for students, faculty, staff, alumni and Colorado residents.
- Wrap-up of the campus’s 2020–21 DEI initiatives is available online and includes additional campus resources.
In case you missed it…
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- ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder history professor named a 2022 Asian American hero of Colorado
- How the end of Roe v. Wade could shape women’s futures
- US life expectancy still falling; Native Amerians hardest hit
- Colorado law students gain powerful lessons providing free legal services to immigrants
- Tips for talking to students about gender and sexuality