TCL Celebrates Juneteenth
Empowering Education for a Promising Future
The Technical College of the Lowcountry commemorated Juneteenth, a historic and significant milestone in African American history, with a reading of President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Spearheaded by TCL’s Director of Student Support Services Starr Hayes and Coordinator for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Rodney Adams, the project included TCL staff members who volunteered for the reading.
“The Technical College of the Lowcountry’s Juneteenth celebration serves as a testament to the institution’s dedication to fostering a culture of inclusivity, understanding, and empowerment,” said Adams. “TCL stands at the forefront of honoring this significant event, reminding us all of the enduring power of education and the collective journey towards freedom, justice, and equality.”
The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Lincoln on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of the Civil War. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”
Now a federally recognized holiday, Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day and commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. It marks the day when news of the abolition of slavery reached the last remaining enslaved individuals in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the proclamation was signed.
TCL staff who participated in the reading included:
- Kelly Majuri, Dual Enrollment Academic Coordinator
- Starr Hayes, Director Student Support Services
- Tameka Eugene-Brown, Assistant Director of Talent Search
- Elaine Jackson, Administrative Assistant Talent Search
- Tangela Joyner, Administrative Assistant for the Testing Center