15 JUNETEENTH JUNETEENTH Students, faculty and community commemorate the abolition of slavery. In 1862, the Emancipation Proclamation declared that those forced into the bonds of enslavement would be set free as of Jan. 1 of the following year. The news slowly spread across the South ,and two years later, it reached the ears of slaves and slave owners in Galveston, Texas. The celebration known as Juneteenth, or ‘Freedom Day,’ carried the history of Black cultures that were passed down through each generation. On June 19, 2020, Harding University hosted a Juneteenth memorial on the Front Lawn. Many professors helped plan the event, but professor of Bible Jason Darden introduced the idea. Head women’s soccer coach Gregory Harris read the Emancipation Proclamation and said a prayer over the audience. He recalled the oppression that stretched through generations of Black men and women to today. “Today, we gather to remember our predecessors who suffered oppression under the painful, dehumanizing and evil system of a new world slave trade,” Harris said. “For centuries, men and women were abused, violated and murdered. They were beaten, but not broken. They were knocked down, but they continued to rise.” Darden originally pitched the Juneteenth memorial idea to Monte Cox, dean of the College of Bible and Ministry, to gather faculty members who wanted to participate in the event. Cox encouraged Darden to make the memorial a Harding event and invite everyone in the Searcy area to attend and learn about the holiday. Word spread throughout Searcy and over 100 people attended with lawn chairs and blankets to hear Darden speak. Darden shared his family’s close ties with the historical holiday. He said for as long as he could remember, his family gathered together in honor of the holiday to eat gumbo. His grandmother cooked as they listened to stories of deliverance and perseverance from his grandfather. “It was a celebration of how far we’ve come,” Darden said. “They were happy times for us. I think of family when I think of Juneteenth.” Darden’s great grandmother, great aunt and cousin were sold into slavery in 1836 from West Africa and brought to Galveston, Texas. Darden’s ancestors were sold as slaves and worked under a man named William J. Darden. After years of forced labor, Darden’s family heard of their sudden liberty but had nowhere to go. They traveled to California, where his family remained. After the event, many faculty and staff admitted to Darden that they did not know about Juneteenth before the University held the memorial. Tiffany Byers, director of Multicultural Student Services, spoke to that unawareness and shed some light on the history behind Juneteenth. She spoke of hope, tribulation and heartache. “Juneteenth is not about race; it is about liberty,” Byers said. Darden believed the Juneteenth memorial was a step in the right direction, but that Harding had further to go. He emphasized that the holiday was a memorial, not a celebration. Amid police brutality against Black communities, Darden felt that a memorial was more appropriate than a celebration. “Bringing awareness is extremely important to me. I believe ignorance produces fear and fear produces hate,” Darden said. “As long as I’m at Harding, I have an obligation to bring awareness to the plight of the African diaspora in America.” story by Katelyn Allen Be aware. Instructor of Bible and Ministry Jason Darden gives a speech at the Juneteenth ceremony on June 19, 2020. The speech was given to raise awareness to the oppression African Americans faced throughout history. | photo by Madison Meyer Assistant Dean of Students Marcus Thomas leads songs at the Juneteenth ceremony on the Front Lawn, June 19, 2020. Dean Thomas was well- known for his song-leading skills on campus and at West Pleasure Church of Christ. | photo by Madison Meyer Briana Cunningham addresses the crowd at the Juneteenth ceremony. Speakers urged listeners to be mindful of history. | photo by Madison Meyer
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