In Pennsylvania, I learned about the Native American tribes of the region, about places like Independence Hall and Gettysburg that were significant in American history, and about individuals and groups important to the state, including William Penn, Phillis Wheatley, the Quakers, Benjamin Franklin and Richard Allen.

Additionally, I learned that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was home to the largest free Black community in the new nation, in part as a result of the passage of the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in March 1780. This act also provided for the emancipation of enslaved persons after holding residence in the Commonwealth for six months.

And while I also learned about some of the inequalities that placed Black Americans in Pennsylvania in second-class status, many of the circumstances known to Black people living in the South were not part of the everyday realities of Black people in Pennsylvania.

Juneteenth simply was not part of my K–12 educational experience.

A combination of the words “June” and “19th” — Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of emancipation of enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation is significant because it legally ended slavery in the United States. Many Black Americans have long celebrated Juneteenth as an unofficial Independence Day.

Juneteenth became an official federal holiday June 17, 2021. Numerous states have also made it an official holiday and some other states have provided it as a paid holiday for state employees. While celebrations occur in most states, we as a country have an opportunity to officially commemorate this important day in every state. As citizens in a democratic society, it is important for all of us to learn how each of us have moved through the history of this nation and celebrate our triumphs together.

These celebrations of freedom from enslavement include church services, parades, parties, festivals, speeches, dramatizations and music. These celebrations and gatherings offer opportunities to remember the trials and tribulations our ancestors endured as enslaved peoples, to learn more about the history of Black peoples in the United States, and to teach valuable lessons to others about the past and present experiences of the African diaspora in the United States. These celebrations and opportunities have facilitated ongoing community discussions regarding economic and educational development of the Black community, public dialogues on the lived experiences of Blacks, the development of African American museums and monuments, and ongoing research on the Black experience in the United States to include the development of research centers and institutes.

Juneteenth is also significant to the legal history of this country.

First, the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order, a legal power held solely by a sitting president of the United States of America and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. As with a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court or a bill passed into law by the U.S. Congress, an executive order becomes effective upon signature. This is one of the early lessons we learn in school about how laws are developed and implemented in this country.

An important fact often excluded from school curriculums is that the Emancipation Proclamation expressly granted freedom only to those enslaved people in the Confederate States, which included Texas. It did not bring relief to enslaved persons residing in border states that were loyal to the Union.

Second, the Emancipation Proclamation opened the doors to the 13th and 14th Amendments. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, and the 14th Amendment defines and identifies citizenship and the rights associated with citizenship. The relationship between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment rests in the notion of freedom and the rights and responsibilities of freedom.

The executive order (1) declares freedom for enslaved persons, (2) supports such freedom through the federal government and its military entities, and (3) prevents the dissolution of such freedom, stating it “will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.”

The relationship between the executive order and the 14th Amendment is connected to the equal protection clause as well as a specific area affiliated with citizenship: serving in the military. President Lincoln declared that freed persons “will be received into the armed service of the United States…” Lincoln also makes one responsibility clear to freed people: “I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence…”.

The proclamation notes that freedom shall not be repressed. This is what I believe to be the primary significance of Juneteenth.

While President Lincoln clearly declares twice in this document that all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state shall be free, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the surrender at Appomattox Court House, slavery remained unchanged in Texas.

The law alone did not change or eliminate slavery in the United States. In fact, the defining event of June 19, 1865, was the arrival of Union Major General Gordon Granger in Galveston and his subsequent orders directing federal troops to seize control of the state to ensure all enslaved people were freed.

While I was not afforded the opportunity to learn this part of our nation’s history as a public school student, knowledge of this historical moment in our country has enriched my experience as a citizen of this country and has reaffirmed the tremendous growth we have experienced as a nation.

These celebrations and opportunities led to a new federal holiday. Juneteenth became an official federal holiday June 17, 2021. Numerous states have also made it an official holiday and some other states have provided it as a paid holiday for state employees. While celebrations occur in most states, we as a country have an opportunity to officially commemorate this important day in every state. As citizens in a democratic society, it is important for all of us to learn how each of us have moved through the history of this nation and celebrate our triumphs together.

References
-Online

-Books
Anderson, J. (1988). The education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1945. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press.

Taylor, C.A. (2002). Juneteenth: A celebration of freedom. Greensboro, NC: Open Hand Publishing.

-Articles
Jeffries, J.L. (2004). Juneteenth: Black Texans and the case for reparations. Negro Educational Review, 55, 2/3, 107-115.

Hume, J. & Arceneaux, N. (2008). Public memory, cultural legacy, and press coverage of the Juneteenth revival. Journalism History, 34(3), 155-162.

Blanck, E. (2019). Galveston on San Francisco Bay: Juneteenth in the Filmore district, 1945-2016. Western Historical Quarterly, 50(2), 85-112.

Theodorea Regina Berry is �鶹ԭ��’s vice provost and dean, College of Undergraduate Studies. In her role, she drives efforts to offer students in her college robust programs while supporting university-wide initiatives to advance undergraduate education, take learning beyond the classroom, and promote greater student success. Berry works closely with the university’s provost, fellow deans and leaders of academic units to create and sustain a learning environment that enables students to thrive academically, professionally and civically.

“We know that when students have academic support, they are more likely to complete their degree program,” says Theodorea Regina Berry, vice provost for Student Learning and Academic Success (SLAS) and Dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies. “We created the PeerKnights program to introduce them to a fellow student who will share their experiences and will help them engage in academic and social activities.”

Once a student has enrolled in the PeerKnights Coaching Program, they are matched with a peer coach who will help them build a customized plan to make the most of their time at �鶹ԭ��. By meeting with the same coach, they’ll build a relationship that will help the student remain on track and make changes as needed.

To provide the best guidance to students, SLAS has coaches for trained in several key areas:

FTIC, Transfer and All-Around PeerKnights coaches provide one-on-one coaching on a variety of topics including navigating �鶹ԭ��, discovering educational resources and services and identifying academic and social engagement opportunities. To facilitate student success, students will meet with the same coach throughout the academic year.

��������ʱ������Ծ�����ٲ� coaches help students engage in����such as internships, study abroad and undergraduate research. Coaches are participating in these types of programs and will help students explore options and get involved.

Major Exploration��PeerKnights��coaches, part of the��, understand that declaring or changing a major can seem daunting. They were once in this position. Leveraging their experiences, coaches will help undeclared students and those exploring majors to identify their interests, goals, and strengths and select a study field.

Pre-Grad PeerKnights, part of , help student navigate preparing for graduate school and the application process.

To help students understand the program and encourage them to participate, Student Learning and Academic Success will host .

Students can also email PeerKnights@ucf.edu with questions about the program and to schedule an appointment.

The moves include �鶹ԭ��’s national-model DirectConnect to �鶹ԭ�� program and �鶹ԭ�� Global, which among other responsibilities, manages international student recruitment, English language programs for students and the community, and international partnerships in education, research and business.

Other aspects of the realignment involve units that impact online student services, faculty training and development, and continuing education for working professionals.

“At �鶹ԭ��, we strive for constant improvement,” Johnson says. “These changes allow us to continue our focus on student success and the student experience.”

The reorganization by the Division of Academic Affairs will unfold throughout September with the following units and offices:

• DirectConnect to �鶹ԭ�� and the �鶹ԭ�� Connect Centers move to the Division of Student Learning and Academic Success, reporting to Theodorea Regina Berry, vice provost of Student Learning and Academic Success and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies;
• �鶹ԭ�� Global moves to the Office of the Provost, reporting to Tim Letzring, senior associate provost for Academic Affairs;
• �鶹ԭ�� Online Connect Center and �鶹ԭ�� Continuing Education move to the Division of Digital Learning, reporting to Tom Cavanagh, vice provost for Digital Learning;
• Office of Instructional Resources Classroom Support, Engineering, Programming and Project Management teams move to �鶹ԭ�� Information Technology, reporting to Michael Sink, interim vice president and CIO.

The transitions for DirectConnect to �鶹ԭ��, the �鶹ԭ�� Connect Centers and �鶹ԭ�� Global coincide with the Oct. 1 retirement of Jeff Jones, vice provost for �鶹ԭ�� Connect and �鶹ԭ�� Global. Johnson praised Jones for his impactful work during his seven years at �鶹ԭ�� and for his suggestions and insights regarding the overall realignment.

“The possibilities for this reimagining are exciting,” Johnson said. “As we move forward, success relies on the creativity and collaboration of our staff, faculty and partners.”

Enrollment at �鶹ԭ�� in the offbeat summer of 2020 is up over the routine summer of 2019. There are 6.6 percent more students taking 11.4 percent more credit hours than a year ago.

Oh, and there’s this: “I’m taking more credit hours than usual this summer.”

From her home in Kissimmee, Sabah Qureshi accepts a call on a Tuesday morning. Qureshi, a biomedical sciences major, has become remarkably productive from this very spot.

“I just finished a Zoom meeting … or class,” says the pre-med student. Qureshi’s instructor, after polling students at the beginning of the term, decided to set aside three hours to meet with them virtually six days a week. Qureshi is in as many of those as possible.

Like Guerra, she’s taking a bigger load of summer credit hours — a total of 12 between Summer A and Summer B terms — than normal. The Organic Chemistry II class from which she’s just logged out? It’s being offered as a summer class for the first time ever.

Qureshi and Guerra are part of a rising trend that’s also raising eyebrows: Enrollment at �鶹ԭ�� in the offbeat summer of 2020 is up over the routine summer of 2019. There are 6.6 percent more students taking 11.4 percent more credit hours than a year ago. The increase spawns from a convergence of factors, including, of all things, the campus going quiet for the past three months.

“When we abruptly had to transition to remote instruction in mid-March, we were heading into uncharted waters. One concern that was top of mind was future enrollment,” says Theodorea Regina Berry, �鶹ԭ��’s vice provost of Student Learning and Academic Success and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies. “We learned that the �鶹ԭ�� community is resilient. We banded together to create an environment focused on student success. Our approach worked; enrollment for Summer 2020 is up.”

***

Guerra envisions himself being a human resources specialist for a resort in Florida sometime in the year 2022. You could say he’s wired for details. On March 10, hours after ending his shift at Publix, he was using online to update his academic route toward “sometime in the year 2022” when he received a text from a friend. Then another. “Did you hear? �鶹ԭ�� is closing campus.”

“My first thought was, ‘Oh no. This will set my plans back … maybe way ��������.’�ĝ

Qureshi heard the news while working in the office she uses as a teacher’s assistant in the biology department. “I figured the closure will be just a week, right? So I left a lot of my belongings in my cubicle.”

Those belongings are still there.

Berry was barely two months into her new position at �鶹ԭ��. ��During initial meetings with stakeholders across �鶹ԭ��, a topic of conversation was how to transform education by “supporting initiatives to take learning outside the classroom.”

“We learned that the �鶹ԭ�� community is resilient. We banded together to create an environment focused on student success. Our approach worked; enrollment for Summer 2020 is up.”

— Theodorea Regina Berry

Reminded of this in early June while the classrooms remain empty, she laughs easily and says, “This is not what I had in mind.”

During the early days of responding to COVID-19, Berry dealt with the urgent tasks of getting students who were studying abroad home and determining how undergraduates would continue internships and co-ops.

“We realized that we were changing students’ learning plans and began to contemplate what that would mean for future enrollment,” says Berry. “We asked ourselves, ‘Would students return to �鶹ԭ�� or transition to colleges closer to home?’ ”

Normally, Admissions, Enrollment Services, Institutional Knowledge Management, and the Registrar’s Office can predict shifts in advance. “In the midst of the pandemic, predicting was difficult,” Berry says.

�鶹ԭ�� was ahead of the curve. It has more than 20 years of experience providing online courses. The university also made sure that students and faculty felt heard and supported.

Through conversations, common messages arose: Make classwork more flexible. Use simulcasts, webcams and livestreams. Make lessons available on dedicated YouTube channels. And, while you’re at it, why not offer more summer classes?

“Everything has led to creating more platforms for learning, so we are able to raise the bar to yet another level,” says Berry. “That does not mean we’ll stop doing what works for certain students. Some of them need the interaction in person. We happen to be working right now on ways to meet the needs of all students. We’re learning a lot and making adjustments to teaching and learning, and if we’re creating a better student experience, they’ll be permanent.”

***

Three months after wondering how deep into the 2020s he might be finishing his required classes, Guerra has a very different outlook: “I’m actually ahead of schedule.” Until this summer, two of his classes weren’t available online: Quantitative Business Tools II and Accounting for Decision Makers. “I’m working more hours. I don’t have to worry about rent. And I have more control of my time and my own path.”

“It can be challenging, but I have to look at it this way: By taking more classes now, I’ll have more time to focus on my internships and volunteer work after things open back up.”
— Sabah Qureshi

Qureshi is also using the availability of summer classes to expedite her track to medical school — and, eventually, to opening her own family clinic.

“It can be challenging,” she says, “but I have to look at it this way: By taking more classes now, I’ll have more time to focus on my internships and volunteer work after things open back up.”

The progressive actions taken as a result of conversations point to the factor that provides momentum in the flexibility-plus-availability equation. Berry noticed it when she came to visit �鶹ԭ�� during a house-hunting trip in November 2019.

“I was struck by the relationships between the colleges and divisions and the dedication to student success,” Berry says.

When one instructor initially struggled to set up her remote lessons, Qureshi helped the instructor figure it out. Guerra’s professors, knowing he relies on his own electronic notes, are providing pdfs so he can mark them up and fully comprehend the material.

Enrollment is up. In the days after March 10, who would have thought?

“In hindsight, I think about the devotion of these students to �鶹ԭ�� and vice versa,” says Berry. “And it’s clear to me that no one wants to give that up. Perhaps we never should have doubted.”

Juneteenth — the June 19 commemoration of the belated announcement in Texas of the Emancipation Proclamation — is a celebration of knowledge received. But it is also a reminder of the power of the second question.

President Abraham Lincoln, a person in power, determined that Union troops and slave owners were responsible for providing information to enslaved people. But these two groups of people had different thoughts about the necessity to relay this information.

On Sept. 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declared freedom to all Confederate-held enslaved peoples effective Jan. 1, 1863.

On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed a community in Galveston, Texas, that Lincoln had freed enslaved Americans in rebel states two and a half years earlier.

Why such a delay? The lag time was due to a provision that made it the responsibility of both Union troops and slave owners to inform enslaved African peoples. In some remote places where Union troops were absent, it was difficult to enforce this order.

Today we continue to celebrate in tribute to those who waited, unaware that the waiting was over.

Texas was particularly unaffected by the Emancipation Proclamation. Many slave owners from other southern states even moved there to avoid relinquishing their ownership and protect their perceived right to prosper. However, in the process, they withheld knowledge that prevented these enslaved peoples from making informed decisions about their lives.

What’s significant about this unofficial holiday is how the newly freed people responded to the knowledge received. Instead of focusing on disappointment, dismay or anger for the delay in receiving this information, they celebrated. Instead of languishing in the injustice, they made informed decisions designed to change the course of their lives.

It is a significant place in time for Black people — as well as all people –—because it marks a point in this country where racial healing could begin.

Juneteenth is significant for a nation living up to its creed: All men and women are created equal.

Today, we continue to celebrate in tribute to those who waited, unaware that the waiting was over. We celebrate the knowledge they received in that moment.

We remember their sacrifices, for these sacrifices provide this country with important lessons for today and our future. We celebrate the reality that knowledge is power. We celebrate freedom.

We celebrate our membership in this one nation, united.

Theodorea Regina Berry is �鶹ԭ��’s newly appointed vice provost of Student Learning and Academic Success and dean of the College of Undergraduate Studies. In her role, she drives efforts to offer students in her college robust programs while supporting university-wide initiatives to advance undergraduate education, take learning beyond the classroom, and promote greater student success. Berry works closely with the university’s provost, fellow deans and leaders of academic units to create and sustain a learning environment that enables students to thrive academically, professionally and civically.