The University Libraries is commemorating Juneteenth through two events, both free and open to the public.
It is the fourth annual celebration University Libraries has planned, said organizer Charlene Maxey-Harris, associate dean for University Libraries.
Juneteenth memorializes the end of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay and announced that enslaved African Americans were free. Once they discovered their liberation, they celebrated it wholeheartedly.
“This year, we continue our partnership with the students of the Digital Legal Research Lab and invite them to discuss their research findings of legal cases of freedom of enslaved people,” Maxey-Harris said. “In addition, we are adding a keynote address by Professor Jeannette Jones on the lives of people after enslavement.”
The public can participate in a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon on June 23 where participants can edit current entries or create new articles on African American history in Nebraska.
These events are part of the year-long celebration of the University Libraries, "Pages to Paths: Celebrating Our Libraries," demonstrating the way the University Libraries support the campus and community.
Details of the events are as follows:
Juneteenth | Legal Fight for Freedom: Student Research Panel and Keynote Address
1 to 3 p.m., June 19, Love Library South 102 (auditorium)
Students working with Katrina Jagodinsky, associate professor of history, will discuss their research findings of legal cases of freedom from Maryland, Missouri and Nebraska. Students will be encoding Maryland and Missouri freedom suits in the weeks leading up to Juneteenth and will share those stories with a campus audience along with a discussion about the importance of building research models that bring such stories into a broader conversation about American history. Jeannette Jones, Happold Professor of History and Ethnic Studies and director of the 19th Century Studies Program, will deliver the keynote, "Black Freedom and the Afterlives of Slavery."
Juneteenth Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
2 to 4 p.m., June 23, Love Library South, Room 221, Peterson Room, registration encouraged.
Join us to improve Wikipedia — no experience required. The theme for this event is Juneteenth and our goal is to edit Wikipedia to reflect and amplify the lives and history of African Americans in Nebraska. Participants may edit or create Wikipedia entries on any topic or person of interest. A list of suggested pages to edit will also be available. University librarians and faculty will be on hand to assist with research and as needed and tutorials will be provided for Wikipedia newcomers.
