ATLANTA, GA | The Morehouse College Department of Athletics partnered with the Morehouse College TRIO Summer Program on Friday, June 19, for a Juneteenth celebration and community walk throughout the Atlanta University Center.
Before participants began the walk, former Atlanta Mayor, Hon. Shirley Franklin, and other local leaders, led a brief panel. Then Morehouse College Director of Athletics Harold Ellis led approximately 100 students, alumni and staff through a series of stretching and warm-up exercises. Ellis was assisted by Athletic Marketing Manager A.D. Drew as the department helped participants prepare for the day's activities.
The Atlanta University Community Walk, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., brought together students and alumni from Upward Bound and TRIO programs across the Atlanta University Center. Participants walked through the community and stopped at designated educational stations to learn about significant people, places and events connected to Juneteenth and the surrounding community.
"Juneteenth is an important opportunity for us to reflect on our history, celebrate the progress that has been made and educate the next generation about the significance of freedom," Ellis said. "Morehouse Athletics is proud to support the TRIO Program and participate in an event that combines education, wellness and community engagement. We want these students to understand that their history matters and that they have the ability to continue building upon the legacy of those who came before them."
The event was designed to encourage physical activity while educating students about the history and lasting significance of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth traces its origins to June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people in the state were free. The announcement came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and was accompanied by the deployment of federal troops to enforce emancipation and oversee Reconstruction.
Often called "Freedom Day" and "America's second Independence Day," Juneteenth is recognized as the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.
The Federal TRIO Programs are outreach and student-services initiatives created to identify and assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. The programs serve low-income individuals, first-generation college students and individuals with disabilities as they progress through the academic pipeline—from middle school through post-baccalaureate education. The program at Morehouse is led by Dr. Cynthia Trawick and Ralph Coates.
TRIO programs identify students who demonstrate the potential for academic success and provide the encouragement, resources and assistance necessary to help them reach their educational goals. The programs prepare students for the successful completion of secondary education, admission into college, retention and graduation from post-secondary institutions, and matriculation into post-baccalaureate programs.
Morehouse Athletics' participation in the Juneteenth Walk continued the department's commitment to supporting campus initiatives that promote education, wellness, community engagement and the development of young people.
