The Black Faculty & Staff Association Marks its Fifth Anniversary with a Juneteenth Celebration
Black Resilience Theme was a Powerful Reminder that Civil Rights are Everyone’s Rights
The Black Faculty & Staff Association (BFSA) marked its fifth anniversary—the association was formed on June 19, 2020– with its fourth Juneteenth celebration held June 12 in the Student Union.
President Christine Mangino welcomed everyone saying, “It is wonderful to see how this celebration has grown year after year, bringing our community together for this special event.
President Mangino added, “I would like to thank the Black Faculty and Staff Association for bringing our community together to acknowledge Juneteenth, which serves as an important practice for higher education institutions. Often traditional education overlooks slavery, emancipation, and the events that followed. Acknowledging those gaps helps us to understand and recognize the struggle for American freedom.”
The theme for this year's celebration was Black Resilience and featured faculty presentations and student speakers.
Emmanuel Ford, ‘25 (Class of 2025 Valedictorian) spoke passionately about the importance of Juneteenth and that it is a stark reminder of the struggle and triumphs of the Black community in their fight for freedom, equality and justice.
Dr. Trevor Milton, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice, shared a video tour of The Legacy Museum, which tells the story of slavery in America and its enduring legacy through an interactive journey—from the transatlantic slave trade and racial terror lynchings to Jim Crow laws and the ongoing crisis of mass incarceration. The Legacy Museum is one of three locations that are part of The Legacy Sites. The first video gave a look at each of the sites within the legacy sites. An aerial video was of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which is the first memorial dedicated to the victims of racial lynchings. Dr. Milton spoke of the urgency to learn about the history of slavery, as education provides the most powerful defense against history repeating itself.
Gail Lewis, Professor, Communication, Theatre & Media Production, invited students and other members of the audience to share examples of their own resilience. Several people took the microphone and spoke about their resilience in the face of challenges and adversity, whether in the classroom or at home.
Bryan Farr, Deputy Chief Information Officer in the Office of Informational Technology, attended all three previous Juneteenth celebrations. “I hope people will walk away having a greater understanding of African Americans’ contributions, labor and great service in building this country.”
A library display featured several influential books that reflected the event’s theme of Black Resilience: We Refuse by Kellie Carter Jackson, Black Joy, Stories of Resistance, Resilience and Restoration by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts and a poster paying tribute to Opal Lee, Civil Rights Activist, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Reynald Pierre-Charles (He/Him/His), CUNY Administrative Assistant, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, closed out the afternoon, expressing deep thanks to the Black Faculty Staff Association (BFSA) for hosting the event, and for the support of the Administration and the entire College community for making the event successful.
The celebration featured catered food, courtesy of Southern Girls Soul Food - a Black-owned restaurant located in the heart of Jamaica, Queens.
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