June 30, 2023
On Saturday, June 17, the Yale African American Affinity Group (YAAA) and the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition (part of the MacMillan Center at Yale), co-sponsored the event, “Juneteenth New Haven,” hosted by the Descendants of the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment, the Kiyama Movement, Hands on Moving and Storage, and the Amistad Committee Inc. The celebration was held at Wexler-Grant School, in the Dixwell community.
This free event was held from noon to 6:00 pm. It included displays of artifacts from African American history, music and dance, arts and crafts, college essay/preparation support, and employment resources. The first 200 children received free hotdogs and beverages. The social wellness of people of color inspired the theme for this year’s event, “Pan Africanism: Unified by History, Connected in Culture, and Focused on the Future.”
The festival saw over 700 participants engage in history and culture, educational activities, the arts, employment, health information, entertainment, and food. There was something for all ages! Yale University provided two information tables, employment information via the NHHI, and information and swag from the eight Yale Affinity Groups.
On Tuesday, June 20, the Yale Child Study Center hosted a Juneteenth celebration inclusive of an overview of the efforts of their DEIB committee and the African American Affinity Group. YAAA members Fallon Thomas, New Haven Hiring Initiative Community Liaison, and Shana Jackson, Senior Administrative Assistant, YLS Operations, spoke to the resources provided to the Yale community and beyond and the importance of community engagement, internally and externally. The audience consisted of faculty, staff, and interns from the center. Photo Credits, Shana Jackson.