The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), a learning program for older adults based at UConn Waterbury, celebrated Juneteenth on Friday, June 20 with a dynamic program dedicated to historical accuracy, freedom, and social justice.
Juneteenth, often called America’s second Independence Day, commemorates the moment in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. This important date, said OLLI Director Fiona de Merell, is about remembrance, reflection and recommitment to the values of freedom, justice and equity.
“At OLLI, we believe that learning is a lifelong journey, and that community is at the heart of that journey,” de Merell said. “Today’s event is a testament to the power of community — of coming together to learn, to honor, and to acknowledge our differences and our similarities. It’s also another important opportunity to remind ourselves of the power we share to resist injustice and to help drive change.”
Guest speakers discussed the importance of remembering America’s historical roots, the value in reflecting on America’s progress and continuing racial evolution, and the important role higher education plays in truth-telling and in supporting diversity.
The keynote speaker was John Mills, president and founder of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a Waterbury-based non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the history of enslaved people, with a specific focus on researching and retelling stories of slaves who lived and worked in Connecticut. Mills was introduced by Bob Burns, executive director of Waterbury’s Mattatuck Museum.
Mills spoke to his own family history, and how his quest for information led him to numerous other family stories, as well as a trove of historical documents from the Civil War and documents detailing the challenges facing enslaved African Americans here in Connecticut.
“It’s our belief that limited representation in education and unconsidered context regarding the enslaved experience has played a role in persisting historical biases and inequities,” Mills said. “Our mission is to use research and broader context to identify and address the many reverberating effects of chattel slavery. We accomplish this through research and presentation of lesser-known stories representing the life experience of the American enslaved, presented from an African American perspective.”
The program was attended by more than 125 OLLI members and guests, including Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski Jr., and Fumiko Hoeft, Campus Dean and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of UConn Waterbury. It also featured an OLLI member art show, live jazz, and a celebratory luncheon.
“I’m proud that OLLI at UConn and our members can celebrate our own diversity as well as the history of how Black Americans helped shape Waterbury,” de Merell said. “Juneteenth reminds us of how people can overcome adversity through compassion, caring, education and perseverance. Those are the same values that drive our many educational and social programs and activities here at OLLI, and one of the many reasons UConn was recently named an Age-Friendly University.”
