Juneteenth: Road to Freedom–Community Lecture about Juneteenth

Presenter: Dr. Cedric Hackett, Associate Professor, Department of Africana Studies, CSUN 

A Short Introduction: June 19th, 1865, formerly known as Freedom Day, is a watershed moment in African American history. Join us as we discuss the historical legacy of Black existence in the United States, the genesis of Juneteenth, why we celebrate, and the ongoing struggle for recognized liberation.

A Short biography: Cedric Hackett, Ed.D. is an associate professor in the department of Africana Studies at California State University, Northridge and the director of the DuBois-Hamer Institute for Academic Achievement, which supports student success through community and campus partnerships. He also works for the athletic department as a Counseling Faculty member at Santa Monica Community College. Dr. Hackett received his Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership at California Lutheran University in 2011. He was a recipient of the prestigious Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program designed to assist students who are interested in teaching in the California State University. His research interests are broad, spanning from leadership, identity development, athletics, and student development & engagement, to racially engaging pedagogy and the psychological and sociological nature of underrepresented groups (i.e. experiences of Black Men in higher education). His recent scholarship includes Get In Where You Fit In: Understanding Engaged Learning in an African-centered Environment (Journal of Negro Education, 2018) and Kufundisha: An Innovative Teaching Approach for Student Engagement and Experiential Learning (Journal for Pan African Studies, 2016).

• Recommended books for this lecture:
• Annette Gordon-Reed, On Juneteenth, 2021
• Ms. Opal Lee , Juneteenth: A Children’s Story, 2019
• Floyd Cooper, Juneteenth for Mazie, 2015
• Ralph Ellison, Juneteenth, 1999

This event is sponsored by CSUN China Institute, the University Library, the College of Social and Behavior Sciences, and the local community organization CHEER (https://www.sfvcheer.org/). It is free and open to the public.

Lecture Recording

Further Resources

1. The first documentary about Black ASL: Signing Black in America
2. The Oxford Handbook of African American Language
3. CSUN Black students history: The Storm At Valley State
4. From CSUN's Special Collections & Archives at the University Library:
   • S.F.V.S.C., November 4, 1968: Occupying the Administration Building
   • The Development of CSUN’s Ethnic Studies Programs