Dear Colleagues,
On Friday, June 19, our nation will mark the 155th commemoration of the day in 1865 that Union troops arrived in Texas and announced that all enslaved people were now free in accordance with the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. News of emancipation spread across Texas throughout the summer and autumn of 1865, and the local Black community gradually settled on June 19th (Juneteenth) as their day of celebration.
The day, now widely recognized, is a reminder of the protracted struggle of this country to abolish slavery as well as the power, resilience, and resistance of Black Americans. This continued struggle for racial equity involves all of us.
On Friday, we will join in this official day of remembrance and celebration; employees will receive a paid day off on Friday, June 19. Employees who previously requested June 19 as a personal day will not be charged for that day. Essential employees scheduled to work on June 19 will receive an alternate paid day to use by August 31, 2020.
Employees in the Shared Work Program who are not scheduled to work on Friday will also be given an alternate paid day to be used by August 31, 2020.
For purposes of recording time and attendance, staff who work on Friday, June 19 and who are covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement should document time worked in Timesaver as OFFC (Office Closure); holiday pay rules will NOT apply to time worked on June 19, 2020.
Juneteenth is a day that reminds us of the essential role of self-determination in the creation of a more equitable society and the significance of truth telling to the work of racial justice.
Should you have any questions or concerns on how best to support staff requests, please feel free to contact a member of the Office of Human Resources at hr@barnard.edu
Wishing you rest and reflection.
Ariana González Stokas, VP of DEI
Kathleen Veteri, Interim Executive Director of Human Resources & Associate General Counsel
We offer the following resources to our community
- Learn about the day
- Support efforts to make Juneteenth a state and federal holiday
- Participate in a virtual Juneteenth celebration