New Mexico State University will commemorate Juneteenth with several free events and activities open to community members.
Juneteenth marks the date in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of slavery in the United States. It is now a federal holiday officially observed June 19.
NMSU Black Programs and the Black Student Association will host their Juneteenth celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 16, at the Corbett Center Student Union outdoor stage. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Freedom, Our Ancestor’s Courage, and the Persistent Fight for Equality!”
Historian Timothy E. Nelson, an NMSU alumnus and former Aggie football player, will be the event’s guest speaker. Nelson, whose research centers on Blackdom, New Mexico, will address foundational issues in African American history, United States history, borderlands history and the African diasporas.
The evening will also include music by HD2 Hip Hop Studio and Las Cruces events DJ, as well as free food – including hamburgers, hot dogs, sides and drinks – for the first 200 attendees. Oversize yard games will also be set up throughout the staging area. For more information, contact Natalie Thomas at 575-646-3378 or kokosong@nmsu.edu.
The Men of Color Initiative and the Associated Students of NMSU will host a separate celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, June 19, also at the Corbett Center Student Union outdoor stage This event will feature performances by singers, poets, musicians and dancers.
The Men of Color Initiative will also a host a Juneteenth African dance workshop, led by Soriba Fofana, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. June 19 in Rentfrow Hall, Room 103A, on the Las Cruces campus. Fofana, a West African drum and dance performer and teacher, will guide participants through simple but expressive dance choreography. Participants should wear comfortable clothes and shoes and bring water to stay hydrated.
For more information about the events hosted by the Men of Color Initiative, contact Patrick Turner at 678-576-2342 or peturner@nmsu.edu.