Juneteenth (also known as Liberation Day) is commemorated every June 19th, marking the anniversary of when the last slaves in America were finally freed. Since the 1970s, it has been increasingly celebrated with a focus on Black liberation and the arts. As protests continue in support of racial justice and against police brutality toward Black people, Liberation Day remains as significant in 2020 as it was in 1865.
To commemorate Juneteenth, CFRU is featuring special programming throughout the day. This includes an episode of Alternative Radio featuring Dr. Cornel West at 1 pm, two episodes of Making Contact at 2 pm entitled “From Juneteenth to Reparations: The Freedom Promise of Unfinished Resolve” and “Say Their Names: George Floyd and the Movement to Uplift Black Lives”, a rebroadcast of Guelph’s recent Solidarity protest in support of Black Lives Matter at 3 pm, and a rebroadcast of Kevin Sutton’s The Great Pause featuring an interview with Fanis Juma of Black Lives Matter in the Waterloo Region at 4 pm.