There is perhaps no one more qualified than Pulitzer-Prize winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed to tell the sweeping story of Juneteenth. In her searing new book, the Texas native chronicles both the state, and the country’s, long road to Juneteenth—and the many hardships that African-Americans have endured in the century since, from Jim Crow and beyond.
Gordon-Reed expertly weaves together her own family’s chronicle—she is a descendent of enslaved people brought to Texas as early as the 1820s—alongside the wider context of American history. It is this combination of poignant personal anecdotes and powerfully demonstrative facts that make Gordon-Reed’s account so vital, stirring, and eloquent.
As our nation verges on recognizing June 19 as a national holiday, On Juneteenth is both an essential account and a stark reminder that the fight for equality is exigent and ongoing. This meaningful and personal talk, based on the book, breathes new life into the historical events that have led us to this moment—and illuminates a new path forward.
Annette Gordon-Reed is a Professor of History in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, the Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard Law School, and the award-winning author of six books. Her latest book, On Juneteenth, sets out to capture the integral importance of the holiday to American history. “It is staggering that there is no date commemorating the end of slavery in the United States,” says Gordon-Reed.
In her earlier piece “Growing Up with Juneteenth,” written for The New Yorker, she recounts how the Texas holiday became a national tradition: “When I was a little girl, in Texas, I thought Juneteenth belonged to us, meaning to the state of Texas generally and to Black Texans specifically,” she starts, before going on to recount the disconnect between “freedom” in legal terms versus lived reality, the unfulfilled promise of the Declaration for Black Americans, and the horrors they have had to endure even after the Emancipation Proclamation. Impassioned, moving, and articulate, On Juneteenth is an even deeper, more personal recollection—a captivating blend of memoir and history that explores the violence and oppression that preceded and followed this celebration, what it means to us now, and how it relates to our larger fight for equality.
Gordon-Reed is also the author of The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, which won the Pulitzer Prize in history and the National Book Award for nonfiction—along with fourteen other awards. It explores the inconsistencies of Jefferson’s stance on slavery and his relationship with enslaved woman Sally Hemings, and has been called “the best study of a slave family ever written” by noted Jefferson scholar Joseph Ellis. Her other books include Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy—a rich examination of scholarly writing on the relationships between Jefferson and Hemings, which exposes the possibility that scholars were misguided by their own biases and may even have contorted evidence to preserve their preexisting opinions of Jefferson. Her other book, “Most Blessed of the Patriarchs”: Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination, presents a provocative character study of Jefferson that challenges much of the scholarly status quo on his portrayal throughout history. Gordon-Reed’s upcoming title, A Jefferson Reader on Race, is set to be published in 2022.
Her honors include the National Humanities Medal (awarded by President Barack Obama), a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a MacArthur Fellowship. Gordon-Reed was also elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the Academy’s Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. In 2019, she was elected a Member of the American Philosophical Society.
The past 18 months has been challenging for many people, particularly students and educators with minoritized racial identities who are navigating dual pandemics: COVID-19 and systemic racism. As students and educators confront these dual pandemics, they are likely experiencing racial battle fatigue, which has negative consequences on their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. The purpose of this keynote is to learn what racial battle fatigue is and offer strategies that educators might use in order to heal. This knowledge will enable educators to understand the impact of racial battle fatigue and take on the onus of addressing racism so that their colleagues of color can rest, recuperate, and heal.
Stephen John Quaye is an Associate Professor in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Program at The Ohio State University; Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education; and Past President of ACPA: College Student Educators International. His research concentrates on engaging students in difficult dialogues about privilege, power, and oppression, and the strategies educators use to facilitate productive dialogues about these topics. His current work focuses on student and scholar activism, as well as the strategies Black student affairs educators use to heal from racial battle fatigue.
Stephen values story-sharing and dialogue as vehicles for fostering change in society and prioritizes empathy and healing in his work as an educator. Numerous campuses have invited him to consult on campus climate, diversity, and equity issues, and he has given over 60 keynotes during his career in higher education. His work is published in different venues, including Teachers College Record, the Journal of College Student Development, and The Review of Higher Education.
Neil Foote, a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame, is a principal lecturer at UNT’s Mayborn School of Journalism. He currently teaches classes in media entrepreneurship, business journalism, media management and multimedia storytelling. He is director of the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. He is author of Principles of News (Kendall Hunt, 2020) and a contributor to the textbook, Race, Gender, Class, and Media: Studying Mass Communication and Multiculturalism (Kendall Hunt Publisher, 2011, 2017).
Foote has worked at The Miami Herald, The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, the Belo Corporation, the Tom Joyner Morning Show and ASNE (now, News Leaders Association).
Foote is a member of the steering committees of Diversity Action Alliance and the Commission on Public Relations Education. He is president of the National Black Public Relations Society, Inc., past chairman of the National Kidney Foundation Serving North Texas, and a past board member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. and received his B.A. in government from Wesleyan University, a M.S.J. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and an M.B.A. from SMU’s Cox School of Business.
Name (Click for more) | Pronouns | Title | Institution/Company | Workshop Session | |
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Aaron Benz |
he/him/his | Degree Analytics | Engaging with IT to Accelerate DEI Initiatives on Campus | |
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Alexandria Gurley, M.A. |
she/her/hers | Student Affairs Professional/DEI Strategist/Spoken Word Artist | Alex Tha Great Inc. | I'm a Woman And... |
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Amairani Espinoza |
she/her/hers | DFW Program Manager | ImmSchools | Race and Immigration: A Student’s Journey |
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Amanda White Bennett, Ph.D. |
she/her/hers | Director of Global Partnerships and Engagement | University of North Texas | Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: What This Means for Campus Internationalization |
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Amy Harth, Ph.D. |
she/they | Assistant National Dean, Accreditation & Academic Quality | DeVry University | Ensuring Respect, Equity & Inclusion for Fat People |
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Angelica Holmes |
she/her/hers | Director of Operations/ Camp Founder Girls Director | Black Outside | Race and Immigration: A Student’s Journey |
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Arshiya Malik |
she/her/hers | Director of Client Success | Aleria | Demystifying Inclusion: 9 Focus Areas for Measurable Impact |
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Brandi Levingston, Ph.D., CRC |
she/her/hers | Program Director, UNT ELEVAR Inclusive Post-Secondary Program | University of North Texas | Inclusive Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities |
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Brandi Scott, Ph.D. |
she/her/hers | Director | University of Texas at San Antonio | Building Partnerships for Systemic Change |
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Brenda Barrio, Ph.D. |
she/her/hers | Associate Professor of Special Education & UNT ELEVAR Faculty Lead | University of North Texas | Inclusive Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities |
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Chelsea Bassett, M.Ed. |
she/her/hers | Director of Student Initiatives and Assessment | University of North Texas | Beyond the Box: Navigating the Asian American Identity |
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Christopher Smith, Ed.D. |
he, him, his | Dean of Student Services | UA Hope-Texarkana | Reframing Allyship: The Noun and Verb |
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Coby Condrey, MLIS |
he/him/his | Collection Development Liaison Librarian | University of North Texas | EDI in Organizations: A Libraries’ Perspective |
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Damian Clarke, Ph.D. |
he/him/his | Chief Information Officer | Meharry Medical College | Engaging with IT to Accelerate DEI Initiatives on Campus |
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Daniel Suda, Ph.D. Candidate |
he/him/his | Director of Affinity Alumni Programming | University of North Texas | Balancing Two Worlds: Supporting Transracial Asian/American Adoptees in College |
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David Palumbo, Ph.D. |
he/him/his | Chief Academic Officer | Degree Analytics | Engaging with IT to Accelerate DEI Initiatives on Campus |
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Demetria Miles-McDonald |
she/her/hers | Founder and CEO | Decide Diversity | How to Get Your Organization's DEI Work Unstuck |
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Desiree Padron |
she/her/hers | Director, First Generation Success Center | University of North Texas | Supporting First-Generation Students in the Online Environment |
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Devon West |
he/him/his | Graduating Student and Accessibility Specialist | University of North Texas | Creating Accessible Experiences for Students from Freshman to Graduation |
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Elena Joy Thurston |
she/her/hers | Executive Director | Pride and Joy Foundation | The ROI of LGBTQ+ Inclusion |
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Elgrie J Hurd III, M.A., M.S. |
he/him/his | Professor of Psychology and Sociology | Dallas College | DEI Strategies: When the Pandemic Pauses the World |
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Eric Green, M.S.O.D. |
he/him/his | Career Development Specialist | University of North Texas | Career Center Initiatives to Engage Black and Latinx Students |
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Ivy Banks, M.Ed., J.D. |
she/her/hers | Associate Vice Provost Diversity & Inclusion | University of Arizona | Engaging with IT to Accelerate DEI Initiatives on Campus |
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Jessica Stone, M.S., CRC, LPC |
she/her/hers | Assistant Director of Accessible Instruction and Assistive Technology | University of North Texas | Disability and Inclusion |
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Kelly Evans, Ph.D. |
she/her/hers | Cataloging & Metadata Associate | University of North Texas | Holding up the Mirror: Exploring White Accountability Groups |
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Kevin Yanowski, M.S. |
he/him/his | Department Head, Cataloging and Metadata Services | University of North Texas | EDI in Organizations: A Libraries’ Perspective |
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Khamisie Green, M.Ed. |
he/him/his | Assistant Director of Student Life | University of Texas Permian Basin | It's Ok to be Black: Programmatic Approaches for Identity Development |
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Kimberly Mosley, M.Ed., J.D. |
she/her/hers | Editorial Assistant/Founder | The Mosaic PATH | A Mile in Their Shoes: Neurodiversity and Cultural-Based Perspectives |
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Landon Ellison |
he/him/his | Sr. Director, Office of Outreach | University of North Texas | Nobody’s Perfect: Implicit Bias in College Admissions |
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Leslie Ekpe, M.A., M.B.A. |
she, her, hers | Graduate Student | Texas Christian University | Race and Reconciliation: Educate, Engage and Empower |
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Lilly Ramin, MLS |
she/her/hers | Sociology Librarian and First Year Experience Coordinator | University of North Texas | Beyond the Box: Navigating the Asian American Identity |
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Lisa Russell |
she/her/hers | Co-Founder & CEO | Aleria | Demystifying Inclusion: 9 Focus Areas for Measurable Impact |
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LT Robinson, M.S. |
she/her/hers | Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students | University of Texas at San Antonio | Building Partnerships for Systemic Change |
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Marcellis Perkins, M.Ed. |
he/him/his | Graduate Student | Texas Christian University | Race and Reconciliation: Educate, Engage and Empower |
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Margaret Oaikena, M.Ed. |
she/her/hers | Assistant Director - Career Center First Year Programming | University of North Texas | Career Center Initiatives to Engage Black and Latinx Students |
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Marilu Howard, M.S. |
she/her/hers | Instructional Design Consultant | University of North Texas | Center for Leadership, Experimentation, Application, and Research | Supporting First-Generation Students in the Online Environment |
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Megan Cunningham, M.Ed. |
she/her/hers | Director of Co-Curricular Student Services for Internship Programs | University of North Texas - Frisco | Holding up the Mirror: Exploring White Accountability Groups |
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Megan Lawton, M.Ed. |
she/her/hers | Career Coach | University of North Texas | How Support Can Improve Outcomes for Employees with Mental Illness |
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Nicole Conant, MPA |
she/her/hers | Associate Director, International Programs and Communication | University of North Texas | Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: What This Means for Campus Internationalization |
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Paulina Diaz |
she/her/hers | Student in Music Education | University of North Texas | Creating Accessible Experiences for Students from Freshman to Graduation |
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Rachel Dalton, Ed.D. |
she/her/hers | TAMS Senior Recruiter | University of North Texas | Holding up the Mirror: Exploring White Accountability Groups |
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Rachel Jackson, M.S. |
she/her/hers | Front Desk Coordinator | Heidrick and Struggles | Exceeds Standards: Leveraging Employee Evaluations for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Navigating Boundaries in the Workplace with Staff of Color |
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Randalynn Johnson, B.A., BEI Level III |
she/her/hers | Student Services Coordinator/American Sign Language Interpreter | University of North Texas | Disability and Inclusion |
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Rekha Gopalakrishnan |
she/her/hers | Senior Immigration Advisor | University of North Texas | Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: What This Means for Campus Internationalization |
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Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D. |
she/her/hers | Director, Accessible Technology Services and Adjunct Professor in College of Education | University of Washington | Addressing Issues Related to Students with Disabilities in DEI Initiatives |
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Stacey Wolf |
she/her/hers | Cataloging and Metadata Librarian | University of North Texas | EDI in Organizations: A Libraries’ Perspective |
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Stephen Quaye, Ph.D. |
he/him/his | Associate Professor | Ohio State University | Engaging in Dialogues about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion |
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Sylviane Greensword, Ph.D. |
Postdoctoral Fellow | Texas Christian University | Race and Reconciliation: Educate, Engage and Empower | |
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Tania Heap, Ed.D. |
she/they | Director, Learning Research and Accessibility | University of North Texas | Creating Accessible Experiences for Students from Freshman to Graduation |
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Terrian Barnes |
she/her/hers | Founder/Principal | Fe-smart LLC | How to Get Your Organization's DEI Work Unstuck |
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Tishara Jackson, Ed.D., LCDC, CSC |
she/her/hers | Counselor | The Hope Pusher, LLC | Equity in School Counseling |
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Yvonne Dooley |
she/her/hers | Business Librarian & Copyright Specialist | University of North Texas | EDI in Organizations: A Libraries’ Perspective |