June 19 is Juneteenth, the United States and California holiday commemorating the end of slavery in our country. The UCOP Black Staff and Faculty Organization has once again planned an engaging roster of events to celebrate and connect with UCOP staff. All colleagues are welcome to attend!

History of Black Fraternities and Sororities Panel

June 17, 12 – 1 p.m. (PT)
Virtual event: Zoom link for Black Greek panel

Black Greek-letter organizations serve their communities through civic engagement and voter registration efforts, literacy and professional development programs, volunteerism and more. Join colleagues Dena Bullard, Johari Leaks and Frederic Roots II, along with Tirrell Muhammad, for an inside look at the experiences of Black fraternity and sorority members.

Acclaimed diver Kamau Sadiki

Diving With a Purpose

June 18, 12 – 1 p.m. (PT)
Virtual event: Zoom link for Black maritime archeology

Preserving Black history is a foundational tenet of Diving with a Purpose (DWP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of submerged heritage resources by providing education, training, certification and field experience to adults and youth in the fields of maritime archaeology and ocean conservation. Join DWP board of directors member and lead instructor Kamau Sadiki to learn more about the organization’s work in protecting, documenting and interpreting African slave trade shipwrecks and the maritime history and culture of African Americans. Kamau’s high-profile dives included the discovery of the slave ship “Clotilda” in the Mobile River in Alabama — the last slave ship to bring captured Africans into the USA — and the documentation of the slave shipwreck “Sâo José Paquete de Africa” in Cape Town, South Africa, the first slave ship documented in which captured Africans were aboard during the wrecking event.

Tiye Garrett, founder of Kuumba LLC

West African Dance Class

June 24, 12 – 1 p.m. (PT)
Oakland: Fifth Floor Rooftop Garden

Join BSFO and Tiye Garrett of Kuumba LLC for an energetic West African dance class. Founded in 2022, Kuumba LLC’s mission is to spread joy and creativity through vibrant rhythms and movements. Experience the spirit of creativity and community with every step and beat!

In addition to the events above, BSFO held an event on the origins of Juneteenth and held volunteer outreach events at St. Vincent de Paul in Oakland.

For questions about these events, contact Joyce.Price@ucop.edu, Roni.Wilson@ucop.edu or BSFO-UCOP@ucop.edu. You can also download a Juneteenth events flyer (PDF).

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