Skip To Main Content
Site Name Here
MenuSearchA-ZSeven Schools One UniversitySeven Schools One University

Menu

  • Give
  • Apply
  • Visit
Close Menu
About
  • Administrative Offices
  • Campus Maps
  • Core Values
  • Fast Facts
  • Travel and International Services
  • Other USM Schools
  • Policies and Procedures
  • Strategic Plan
  • Sustainability
  • Middle States
  • MPowering the State
  • News
  • University Leadership
  • UMB Experts Guide
Academics
  • Academic Calendar
  • Academy of Lifelong Learning
  • Blackboard
  • Libraries
  • Office of the Provost
  • SURFS
  • UMB Program Explorer
Admissions
  • Financial Aid
  • International Students
  • Military and Veterans
  • Office of the Registrar
Research
  • Breakthroughs Can’t Wait
  • Offices and Contacts
  • Resources for Investigators
  • Services for Investigators
  • UMB Research Profile
University Life
  • Arts and Culture
  • Bookstore
  • Emergency
  • Housing
  • Museums
  • Parking and Transportation Services
  • Rooms Available on Campus
  • SMC Campus Center
  • Student Organizations
  • Student Policies
  • URecFit and Wellness
  • UMB shuttle
  • Welcome to Baltimore
  • One Card
Info For
  • Current Students
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Alumni and Donors
  • Community Members
Resources
  • The Elm
  • Calendar
  • myUMB
  • Directory
  • Blackboard
  • SURFS
  • Emergency
  • UMB Shuttle
Seven Schools One University

Search

Close Menu
Common Searched Terms
  • Graduation 2025
  • Campus Tour
  • Jobs at UMB
  • Parking
  • Tuition Remission
  • Registrar
  • Qualtrics
  • Human Resources
  • URecFit and Wellness
  • Tuition
  • Help Desk

A–Z

Close Menu
    Office of the President

    2019-2020

    1. UMB Home
    2. About UMB
    3. Administrative Offices
    4. Office of the President
    5. Messages and News
    6. Letters to the UMB Community
    7. Letters Archives
    8. 2019-2020
    • UMB HomeAbout UMBAdministrative OfficesOffice of the PresidentMessages and NewsLetters to the UMB CommunityLetters Archives2019-2020

    Juneteenth: A Day of Observance

    Dear UMB Community,

    Originally commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865 — more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation — Juneteenth is now the preeminent national celebration of freedom of slavery in the United States. However, while Juneteenth did mark emancipation from chattel slavery, it did not remove its enduring legacy.

    We see the lingering effects of a country that hasn’t reconciled with its past when we see inequality, oppression, and injustice in our present. Juneteenth is not just a day of celebration for Black Americans, it is a day for all Americans to celebrate freedom and work toward our nation’s ideals of equality and opportunity for all. On Juneteenth, we celebrate the victories won against injustice and come together to fight against systemic racism. Juneteenth gives us an opportunity to reflect, learn more about our American history, and celebrate Black resilience and culture. 

    In recognition of Juneteenth, I am granting administrative leave beginning Friday at noon. If you plan to take administrative leave in observance of Juneteenth, it may be taken only on Friday, June 19. Understanding that some may want to take the whole day off, you may, of course, use personal time or annual leave. Please communicate with your supervisor about your plans.

    If you would like to learn more about Juneteenth, you can participate in a webinar sponsored by ISLSI Juneteenth, Past, Present and Future at either 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. on Friday. You can also learn more about Juneteenth from the resources below:

    • The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
    • Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day (Smithsonian Magazine)
    • What Is Juneteenth? (PBS: This web site also hosts The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, a video series on African American history, culture, and perspectives.)

    As a country, we still have a long way to go in achieving equity. We have many more steps to take towards justice for all, but on Juneteenth, we celebrate an important step taken toward the pursuit of freedom. I am hopeful that together we will continue to create change.

     

    Sincerely,

    Bruce Jarrell, MD, FACS

    Interim President


    • Back to 2019-2020

    Contact

    Office of the President

    220 Arch St.
    Fourteenth Floor
    Baltimore, MD 21201

    410-706-7004
    Facebook X instagram YouTube

    Related Information

    Core Values University Leadership
    University of Maryland Baltimore

    The University of Maryland, Baltimore is the founding campus of the University System of Maryland.

    620 W. Lexington St., Baltimore, MD
    21201 | 410-706-3100

    • The Elm
    • Calendar
    • Emergency
    • Mobile UMB
    • UMB Shuttle
    • myUMB
    • Directory
    • IT Help Desk
    • Facilities Work Request
    • Jobs
    • Middle States
    • Strategic Plan
    • Sustainability
    • Clery Report
    • UMB Hotline
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • YouTube
    The University of Maryland, Baltimore prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator. Read the UMB Notice of Non-Discrimination.
    © 2024-2025 University of Maryland, Baltimore. All rights reserved.
    • Privacy Policy
    • Web Accessibility
    • Web Feedback
    • Non-Discrimination