The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion partnered with its Black and African American Faculty Association to host an inaugural Juneteenth Commemoration Event for students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in the West Pavilion Atrium. The popular event was the largest in recent ODI history with roughly 300 attendees over the course of the day.

Attendees were greeted with an address by Dr. Mona Fouad, Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion. As Dr. Fouad noted in her remarks about the importance of Juneteenth, both the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the broader Heersink community “believe that to pursue excellence in medicine, we must cultivate an equitable environment that accepts and affirms everyone.”

Dr. Raegan Durant, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, echoed Dr. Fouad’s call for inclusion and introduced the co-chairs of the Black and African American Faculty Association, Dr. Farah Lubin and Dr. Danielle Powell. They shared the historical significance of Juneteenth and why it is such an important holiday to celebrate.

As they explained, Juneteenth—which is celebrated annually on June 19 and was established as a federal holiday in 2021—remembers the day in 1865 when 250,000 Black people who were still enslaved in Texas were informed that they were free. From that point on, the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced throughout the US.

Bringing awareness to Heersink’s ongoing commitment to combating health inequity, the UAB Live HealthSmart Mobile Wellness Unit was onsite to provide attendees with free health screenings. Participating in the program were visual artists Willie Williams, Jr. and his father, Willie Williams, Sr., the owners and founders of Studio 2500, who displayed art pieces that illustrated the power and spirit of the Black and African American community. Additionally, Salaam Green, Artist in Residence at UAB Arts and Medicine, shared a selection of poems that spoke to the importance of liberation.

Salaam explained, “Freedom is what others give us, liberation is what we give ourselves.”

The Juneteenth holiday honors the strength and resilience of the Black and African American community while encouraging reflection on how we can move towards greater equity and inclusion. At Heersink, we are committed to supporting these values to work towards an environment where all can thrive. As Dr. Durant noted in his address, “We hope the continued change we are all hoping for won’t take decades or centuries, and we will see it over the course of our lives.”