Austin Community College To Talk Equity, Inclusion

AUSTIN, TX — Ahead of Juneteenth commemorating the end of slavery, Austin Community College has scheduled a virtual conversation with students and employees to examine equity and inclusion in the present day.

The event is scheduled on Friday (June 19) from 11 a.m. to noon. The conversation will feature a poetry reading and conversation with school system employees and students along with community leaders.

“We need to recognize and acknowledge the wrongs of the past and address the consequences of those wrongs, to heal our societal divide,” Darrell Merriweather, the college's senior advising specialist, said in a prepared statement. “Juneteenth allows everyone an opportunity to better understand African American culture. By taking the time to discuss the emancipation of 1865 we can learn how to interact with each other and come together to make our community stronger.”

Participants will share perspectives about the importance of Juneteenth and the abolition of slavery in Texas. Guests include:

• Nelson Linder, Austin NAACP president.
• Kharyee Williams, ACC Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center director.
• Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey, Black Art; Real Stories Magazine co-founder.
• Gia Jones, ACC Student Affairs specialist.
• Trinity Bouldwin, ACC Early College High School coordinator.
• Noble Udoh, ACC student & Student Government Association president.
• Patrick Wright, ACC student.

The event is sponsored by ACC Student Life in partnership with the ACC African-American Cultural Center and the ACC Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center.

For more information, contact ACC Student Life representatives Josh Garcia at joshua.garcia@austincc.edu or Jamal Nelson at jamal.nelson@austincc.edu.

About Austin Community College

Austin Community College is a nationally recognized two-year college serving Central Texas. ACC is focused on student success and providing affordable, flexible pathways to help students reach their education goals, learn new job skills, or advance their career. The college currently enrolls more than 70,000 students annually.