Juneteenth is Coming! Now What?
Even though the Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control in the U.S. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay. This day came to be known as Juneteenth, by the newly freed people in Texas.
The establishment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday in 2021 has led to a number of questions:
- What are the different ways in which we celebrate and commemorate the holiday?
- What should we do with this day off, IF we get it?
- Is it OK to rest rather than engage in a public celebration of the holiday?
This Table Talk will be a real conversation on the historical importance of Juneteenth and our contemporary definitions of freedom. For some the holiday is deeply personal and familiar, and for others it’s a new learning edge. As Black people, we’ve been grappling with freedom all our lives. A federally-recognized holiday is certainly an achievement, but not a quick solution to the complexities of racism or liberation. How do you “Juneteenth”?
Please note that the intention of this space - created by and for the Black community - is to center diverse experiences of people who are of African descent.
EVERYONE is welcome to bear witness, listen, and learn in allyship.
Speakers
Dr. Karinn Glover
After graduating from Howard University with a BA in History, Dr. Karinn Glover worked at Essence Magazine and as an Account Executive for Verizon. She followed her curiosity about medicine and ultimately attended SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and obtained an MPH from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Currently Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Glover teaches psychopharmacology and psychotherapy to Psychiatry and Family Medicine residents. Her career as a consultant and educator have informed her expertise in the fields of health equity, workplace mental health, and organizational success. Follow her on Twitter @drkarinn
Dionne C. Monsanto
Dionne C. Monsanto, Chief Joy Connector and Founder of Joyous Ocean LLC, connects people to their joy. As a bestselling author, coach, speaker, mental health advocate, and performer, she creates the space for her clients to safely realize their goals and build better versions of themselves.
Dionne's belief is that we can collectively change the world if we each build a joy-filled healthy body to support the lives we want to live. In short Dionne helps people Live Life INjoy! With her support, her clients create their "right-size" bodies and lives.
Dionne sits on the National Chapter Leadership Council for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and is an active volunteer with her local AFSP NYC Chapter as well. She is a native New Yorker but a global citizen and has been on TV, radio and in print. Her features include CBS, PBS, Essence and Time Magazine. She is a helper who loves cooking, music and laughter. She sees them all as moving meditations. Read her blogs, sign up for her newsletter and follow her on social media all from her website, www.joyousocean.com.
About Reimagine
Reimagine hosts community-driven experiences that bring creativity, connection, and essential conversation to face adversity, loss, and mortality, and channel the hard parts of life into meaningful action and growth. Reimagine envisions a world where we can embrace life fully—from this moment through the end—and collectively contribute to a more just and compassionate society.
About Table Talk
We recognize that marginalized communities and cultures -- Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, Asian American, Disabled, LGBTQ+, etc. -- have their own unique perspectives and shared truths. All of these groups face tremendous challenges in dealing with serious illness, dying, grief, discrimination. And there is a shared need for platforms to talk about these issues freely in order to connect, learn, heal, remember, and take action.
While individual Table Talks are developed by and for specific communities, we recognize that often these groupings are permeable. Many of us describe more than one group as “home,” and many of us have experienced oppression based on multiple aspects of our intersecting identities: race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and more.
Reimagine invites people of all backgrounds to join us to witness, listen and learn at Table Talk. Ultimately we are creating space rooted in the principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in order for everyone to thrive.
