Austin Community College (ACC) hosts a virtual conversation with students and employees to examine equity and inclusion in recognition of Juneteenth from 11 a.m. to noon on Friday, June 19. The event features a poetry reading and conversation with ACC employees and students and community leaders. 

“We need to recognize and acknowledge the wrongs of the past and address the consequences of those wrongs, to heal our societal divide,” says Darrell Merriweather, ACC senior advising specialist. “Juneteenth allows everyone an opportunity to better understand African American culture. By taking the time to discuss the emancipation of 1865 we can learn how to interact with each other and come together to make our community stronger.”

Participants will share perspectives about the importance of Juneteenth and the abolition of slavery in Texas. Guests include: 

• Nelson Linder, Austin NAACP president
• Kharyee Williams, ACC Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center director
• Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey, Black Art; Real Stories Magazine co-founder
• Gia Jones, ACC Student Affairs specialist
• Trinity Bouldwin, ACC Early College High School coordinator
• Noble Udoh, ACC student & Student Government Association president
• Patrick Wright, ACC student

The event is sponsored by ACC Student Life in partnership with the ACC African-American Cultural Center and the ACC Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center. 

For more information, contact ACC Student Life representatives Josh Garcia at joshua.garcia@austincc.edu or Jamal Nelson at  jamal.nelson@austincc.edu.