Prerecorded remarks from Maryland's first family—Gov. Wes Moore and first lady Dawn Moore—will be featured during Johns Hopkins University's annual Juneteenth celebration on Friday, June 21.
Image caption: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and first lady Dawn Moore
Dawn Moore's remarks will be shared during the Indispensable Role of Blacks at Johns Hopkins induction ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. in the Great Hall at Levering Hall. She is one of five inductees to the exhibit this year, recognized as Maryland's first Black first lady and for "more than 20 years of leadership experience in government relations, non-profit work, building corporate partnerships, community organizing, campaign strategy, and fundraising" as well as her efforts to empower women, foster economic opportunity, and champion the arts.
Other 2024 inductees are award-winning doctor Kenneth Brown, A&S '70; Anita Norton, who retired in 2023 from her decades-long position as the director of the Online Services Program in the Sheridan Libraries' Entrepreneurial Library Program; Tameika Lunn, A&S '99, an associate judge for the District Court of Maryland in Baltimore City; and Adrienne Breckenridge, SOE '03 (MS), an undergraduate academic adviser in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences since 1995.
Wes Moore, A&S '01, was one of 37 individuals included in the Indispensable Role of Blacks exhibit when it debuted in 2012, but he will be reinducted in recognition of his historical election as governor. Moore was sworn in as Maryland's 63rd governor in January 2023; he is the first Black governor in the state's 246-year history and the third Black governor in U.S. history.
Moore's prerecorded keynote remarks will be shared during the Juneteenth celebration showcase and dinner, which begins at 5 p.m. in the Great Hall and Glass Pavilion. Sherita Hill Golden, professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and former chief diversity officer for Hopkins Medicine, will also give keynote remarks.
Registration for in-person attendance for JHU's Juneteenth celebration is closed, but events will be available for viewing via livestream. The day begins with a brunch and panel discussion at 11 a.m.
The Indispensable Role of Blacks at Johns Hopkins digital exhibit is co-sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Black Faculty and Staff Association, the Office of the President, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This year's inductees join more than 80 individuals who have been previously recognized for their lasting contributions to the university's rich history, and who have brought honor to the university through their achievements.
Profiles of all inductees can be found on the exhibit's website. To nominate individuals for the next class, use the Indispensable Role of Blacks at JHU nomination form. Nominations are open through October.
Juneteenth recognizes the date in 1865 when Texas residents—including roughly 250,000 enslaved people—learned that all enslaved people had been freed. Although the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect Jan. 1, 1863, and declared all enslaved people to be freed, the news did not reach Texas until two and a half years later. Celebrations have evolved over the years and often include not only festivities but also educational activities promoting the preservation of Black culture. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021 establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Johns Hopkins will observe the Juneteenth holiday on Wednesday, June 19.
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