Monday, June 19, 2023
Photos by Tom Wilson, writer/editor-PCToday
A "Lunch & Learn" event filled Penn's Inn on Monday afternoon, as employees, students and community members joined in what organizers hope is an annual campus celebration of Juneteenth. Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, the June 19 federal holiday commemorates the date in 1865 when enslaved residents of Galveston, Texas, were finally informed that they had been freed – more than two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Facilitated by Nate Woods Jr., Penn College's special assistant to the president for inclusion transformation, the three-hour observance included a communal meal, passionate speakers and a wide-open discussion of relevant topics.
The post-lunch program begins, as Woods lays out the ground rules for courteous dialogue. "We don't all have to agree, but we do need to be respectful," he said ...
... continuing the event kickoff in a video with college President Michael J. Reed (who was unable to attend in person due to the college's annual Golf Classic scholarship fundraiser).
"Lord, there been times that I thought I couldn't last for long, but now I think I'm able to carry on," sings Tamaka F. Carter, a Penn College student, alumna and employee, delivering a soulfully stirring rendition of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" ...
... and reveling in the audience's reaction as she exits the stage.
Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter talks about recent electoral victories by Black candidates, including Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Joanna McClinton, the first woman to serve as speaker of the commonwealth's House of Representatives.
Pull-up displays throughout the room offered a history of Juneteenth, milestones along its road to becoming a federal holiday and suggestions for how to mark the occasion.
Wildcat wrestling coach Pankil Chander details an NCAA Division III grant to Penn College for hiring of a full-time intern who identifies as an ethnic minority and/or woman.
Kortet Mensah (holding microphone) collaborates with participants on a spoken-word piece titled "This Is Us." She asked audience members to share what they're proud of, incorporating responses into a result that "enlivens our collective spirit, adding to our shared legacy (and) a more hopeful 'us.'"
Lisa E. Williams, president of the Lycoming Tri-County NAACP, provides a historical overview of the organization, including the hard-fought passage of anti-lynching legislation and the ongoing crusade for human, civil and voting rights by "an army of ordinary people."
The mayor takes part in one of the many engaged breakout sessions, joining a discussion of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Proudly wearing a T-shirt created by his sons, Woods eyes the standing-room-only crowd.
Shaqira S. Drummond, a 2022 graduate in business administration: marketing concentration, keeps the conversation going during the table talk.
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