SUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor Malatras Statement on Juneteenth
June 18, 2021
"Juneteenth is an occasion for all Americans—regardless of race, religion, or country of origin—to reflect upon the legacy of slavery, explore their humanity, and consider the challenge of true racial equity in a nation whose history includes the trafficking and enslavement of millions of people of African descent.
Throughout SUNY, we celebrate Juneteenth by having open and historically accurate conversations with one another about this shared history and what it means for all of us today.
Doing so helps us progress as individuals and as a nation. The recognition of Juneteenth is not a singular event meant to celebrate the liberation of a people who had been enslaved for more than 200 years up to that moment in time. It is also for us to reaffirm the truth that together, we can bring about a just future.
At SUNY, we are constantly striving to make our system more socially just, antiracist, and inclusive for all, where we reject hate and discrimination. Let us collectively learn from our history so to that end, we encourage all students, staff, and faculty to use this day to reflect on our past and look toward our future together at SUNY as we continue to work to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment free of hate."
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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