Welcome to be you

On a June weekend more than a decade ago, I found myself walking for exercise when I stumbled across an event in Eden Park in Cincinnati. “JUNETEENTH” hung in big letters across all the banners. African American and Black individuals were celebrating, acknowledging and honoring a historic moment that is not often taught in primary school. This was the first I had heard of this “holiday.” I was in my mid-20s. The moment will always be with me as it was an opportunity to learn more about myself, my culture and my history within America.

My first impression of this Juneteenth celebration was not that different from that of a first-year student walking into the University of Dayton’s Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center. There’s an atmosphere of joy in MEC that happens when individuals celebrate commonalities and revel in shared experiences. 

MEC will be honoring Juneteenth in 2026 by hosting faculty, staff, alumni and students in the area. As MEC’s director of strategic belonging and success initiatives, I will work with the staff to use this time to build and strengthen community and to let individuals know “we see you,” “we stand with you,” “we honor you.” With the trials and tribulations our Black students have endured this year, it is more important than ever to demonstrate and foster a community to rebuild.

The University of Dayton has been and continues to be committed to the dignity of all people through its Catholic and Marianist identity. We are all made in the image and likeness of God; the experiences of individuals are important, welcomed and necessary in the growth and development of us all. 

The Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center cultivates, celebrates and fosters the multi-dimensional way in which each and every UD student navigates campus and their own lives. We show up — through more than just the programs, heritage luncheons and training sessions. We cultivate the family spirit by allowing students to enter the space as their authentic selves. Doors remain open. 

MEC isn't something you join — it's where you’re welcome to be you. 

Juneteenth is an opportunity for individuals to celebrate and acknowledge the moment that slaves in Galveston, Texas, received communications that they were free — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth serves as a reminder that the action of creating a law or policy and the execution of the law or policy must be concurrent. Granting freedom did not help the slaves in Texas when official word and the troops to enforce it lagged so far behind. Even with the 2021 act declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday, policies and procedures since have not resulted in the freedoms June’s celebration attempts to uplift. We have seen Black votes diluted by redistricting, Black unemployment rise and programs to support the thriving of Black citizens dismantled. At other universities, centers of inclusion are being shuttered and programs that promote belonging are deemed illegal. Students around the country have difficulty safely and frequently expressing their identities. 

This year’s holiday will again be full of banners and celebrations. It is a great time for individuals to ask themselves where they stand on injustices. Are we prepared to create new paths of equality and then support the actions required to ensure what is good and right is accessible to all God’s people?  

Are we prepared to create new paths of equality and then support the actions required to ensure what is good and right is accessible to all God’s people?  

UD will forever be committed to the dignity of every person. MEC will continue to foster and uphold the family spirit. When we find ourselves outside of the campus boundaries, it is doubly important to uphold these precepts and work to ensure the promise of emancipation is activated for all. 

About the author: Brian Jackson is director of strategic belonging and success initiatives for MEC. He was previously an assistant director of residence life at UD. The Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center provides staff, facilities, services and special programs to support the academic experience of all students.