When
Speaker series kicks off June 5
The University of Arizona's 2025 Beyond Juneteenth speaker series begins June 5 with a talk by Lehman Benson, vice president for Black advancement and engagement. The lecture will explore how Juneteenth serves as a reflection on history and a call to action for the future.
Each talk takes place at 2 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Pima room.
The presentations are free and open to the public.
Other speakers in the series include:
- June 12 | Community Council for Student Success
A representative of the Community Council for Student Success will discuss the organization's advocacy for students, faculty and staff.
- June 17 | Cheree Meeks, Assistant Dean for Leadership and Student Development, W.A. Franke Honors College
Meeks will explore the history and impact of the NAACP through a look at the organization's legacy of advocacy and leadership.
'Art of Food' dinner event on June 26
The series will culminate with an "Art of Food" dinner event on June 26 from 4-6 p.m. at the Health Sciences Innovation Building Forum, 1670 E. Drachman, on the university's health sciences campus.
The dinner will feature food inspired by the Harlem Renaissance – which spanned the 1920s and 1930s – and a talk from Johnique Woods, associate director of event planning with Arizona Student Unions. Tickets, which are $25, are available online.
About Juneteenth
Juneteenth is celebrated each June 19 to commemorate the arrival of Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed – to announce that enslaved people in Texas were free. The university began observing Juneteenth as a paid holiday in 2023.