June 14, 2024

Dear Wolf Pack Family,

On Wednesday, June 19, Nevada will observe Juneteenth, a statewide holiday recognizing the historic day of June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved Black Americans were freed in Galveston, Texas.

Juneteenth is an important date in the history of the United States. Known as the second Independence Day, it marked the actual abolition of slavery in our country. It also began the slow process of moving toward equality, making opportunities available to Black Americans that were always due but not always provided.

Looking back on our University’s 150 years, we see many firsts in our history that would not have been possible without the historic efforts that occurred leading up to and on Juneteenth. These firsts include the graduation of Theodore Miller in 1930, our first Black graduate, and the first Black woman to graduate from our University, Stella Mason Parson, in 1952.

I would like to thank Governor Joe Lombardo for signing Assembly Bill 140 into law last year, making Juneteenth a legal holiday for our state. I am also grateful to the efforts of those in our state legislature who championed the importance of this day in 2011, including Nevada Assemblyman Harvey Munford, allowing me to sign into law a statute that recognized June 19 as Juneteenth Day, emphasizing the significance of that day in history for all Nevadans.

I encourage The Wolf Pack Family to join the University in celebrating this historic day. This Sunday at 2 p.m., the University’s Multicultural Center will participate in the Northern Nevada Black Cultural Awareness Society’s 36th annual Juneteenth Festival held at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park.

As we reflect on this historic occasion, let us learn from our history and honor the accomplishments of Black Americans who have contributed so much to our country since its founding.

Go Pack!

Sincere regards,

Brian Sandoval
President