Gateway Lit for PA Juneteenth National Freedom Day

The University of Scranton will observe Juneteenth National Freedom Day in Pennsylvania on Friday, June 19, by lighting the Class of 2020 Gateway in the symbol of the Juneteenth flag of red and blue with a white star at its center. The holiday celebrates African-American history and culture and is an occasion to reflect on the legacy of slavery in the United States and its impact on the Black community.

 Governor Wolf, who last year signed legislation which designated June 19 as “Juneteenth National Freedom Day” in Pennsylvania, is encouraging all Pennsylvanians to reflect on the importance of the state holiday and the continued need for a fair and just society.

 Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, to commemorate Union army general Gordon Granger’s reading of federal orders in the city of Galveston, Texas, the furthest point in the south, proclaiming all slaves in Texas to be free. The slaves were previously unaware of the end of the Civil War and that they had been freed more than two years earlier when President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Class of 2020 Gateway features include a lit glass wall etched with the seal of The University of Scranton that spans the center of the four-story west façade of St. Thomas Hall.