Sinclair establishes Juneteenth as official college holiday

Sinclair College students study in the school's library Wednesday Sept, 15, 2021. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Sinclair College students study in the school's library Wednesday Sept, 15, 2021. JIM NOELKER/STAFF

Sinclair Community College has designated June 19 an official college holiday after the Board of Trustees approved it on Feb. 2.

Each year on June 19, the college will be closed and Sinclair students and staff will be encouraged to observe and commemorate the meaning of Juneteenth through special programming offered by Sinclair, the college said in a press release. If June 19th falls on a weekend, Sinclair’s President will designate a day during the week to observe Juneteenth.

“Honoring Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, is an additional element of Sinclair’s strategy to encompass the acceptance, inclusiveness, engagement, and mutual respect among students, faculty, staff, administrators, and members of the community,” said Amy Barker, chair of the Sinclair Community College Board of Trustees.

Sinclair said it has increased the number of degrees and certificates awarded to Black male students by 310% in the last 10 years and said the number of certificates and degrees awarded to all minority students has increased by 250% in the same period.

In 2018, the Sinclair Community College Board of Trustees established alignment, growth, and equity as the institution’s strategic priorities, the university said, and in 2020, the Board invested a historic additional $1 million to combat racism through further programing and training.

Michael Carter, senior advisor to the president and Chief Diversity Officer for Sinclair, said the college has nearly 6,300 minority students and more than 4,600 Black students.

“Sinclair remains steadfast in bringing about real, lasting, systemic change by ensuring that the future is much brighter for our Black and minority students and that our entire community has equitable opportunities,” Carter said.

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