Timely Topic: Juneteenth Presents Opportunity for Building Community

06.16.2025

Volunteers from The University of Texas at Dallas prepared meals in 2023 at Feed My Starving Children in Richardson during a Juneteenth event organized by the Office of Student Volunteerism.

While Juneteenth is not an officially recognized National Day of Service, some organizations are using the federal holiday as a catalyst for volunteering and community-building, said Dr. Allison Russell, assistant professor of public and nonprofit management at The University of Texas at Dallas and an expert on volunteerism.

The most recently named federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, was recognized by Congress in 2021, but early regional celebrations date back to 1866 at community gatherings in Texas that spread across the South. It commemorates the day in 1865 when Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, 2 1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

In North Texas, including at UT Dallas, many events that span the weekend and week leading up to Juneteenth bring together both service and celebration to commemorate the holiday.

For example, the UTD Bruce August Jr. Juneteenth Day of Service will include Comets traveling to the Feed My Starving Children site in Richardson, Texas, on June 17 to pack meals for communities facing food insecurity. Other activities on campus preceding the holiday include a mid-day kickoff celebration on June 16 with live music, treats and history spotlights, and the opening of the Bruce August Jr. student lounge in the Student Services Building.

In addition, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Dallas hosted the 4K Freedom Walk & Festival June 14.

“Four kilometers is roughly 2.5 miles; it took 2.5 years for the news of emancipation to reach the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston,” Russell said.

Fort Worth activist Opal Lee, the “grandmother of Juneteenth” who advocated to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, organized 2.5-mile freedom walks to raise awareness and promote the day and its significance for not only Black people but also every American.

Events that are organized by and for the Black community center the deep historical and cultural importance of Juneteenth both locally and nationally, Russell said.

“These events can be very impactful for anyone seeking an opportunity to learn more about the meaning of Juneteenth and to engage in self-reflection and community service,” she said.

–Jessica Good