Springfield College Acknowledges Juneteenth

Springfield College acknowledges Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. We hope you will join us in taking time to reflect on the importance of this day as well as the very real need for continued progress.

On Friday, June 18, Springfield College Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement Calvin R. Hill, PhD, hosted a special guest via Zoom, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Alabama Nikita Y. Harris, PhD. The virtual chat was titled, What Juneteenth Means to Me: A conversation between (two native Texans).

By: Calvin R. Hill, PhD, Springfield College Vice President for Inclusion and Community Engagement

As an African American born in Texas, I have fond memories of church picnics and community celebrations recognizing the significance of Juneteenth, the day that has come to mark the end of slavery in the United States. It is a day set aside each year to remember our history, and to celebrate the resilience of the enslaved ancestors of African Americans. Juneteenth started in Galveston, Texas, but it is now recognized, in some form, as a day of observance in every state except Hawaii, North Dakota and South Dakota, and on June 15, 2021, the Senate unanimously passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday; it subsequently passed through the House of Representatives by a 415–14 vote on June 16.

Dr. Harris is an award-winning educator who teaches communication and leadership in the College of Communication & Information Sciences at the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa. She is the inaugural Graduate Program Coordinator for the online M.A. degree in Organizational Leadership in the Department of Communication Studies. In 2019, the program was ranked #12 nationally by Affordable Colleges Online as the Best Online Master’s Program in Communication for its quality, innovation and affordability. Prior to joining the faculty at Alabama, she served as the Associate Chair and Director of Curriculum for Online Programs at Columbus State University in Georgia.

Dr. Harris holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication (with an emphasis in organizational theory, training and assessment) from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and was a Doctoral Fellow at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She earned her Master of Arts in Communication Studies from Auburn University in Alabama and her undergraduate degree is in Speech Communication from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.

At Springfield College, we are striving to create a campus community that is more socially just, inclusive, and equitable. Often this comes from listening to the voices of our students, which we will continue to do in these important efforts. Learn more about our efforts: springfield.edu/inclusion-and-community-engagement

Warm regards,
Calvin R. Hill, PhD
Vice President