Juneteenth

The MCPHS Center for Health Humanities, the MCPHS Libraries, and the MCPHS DEI Team are co-sponsoring two Juneteenth events this year:

• A virtual discussion on the 1852 Frederick Douglass speech "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July" and how it relates to our world today.  There will also be an opportunity for audience Q&A and discussion with the panel.
• MCPHS students from all campuses and programs will be invited to submit creative works inspired by Juneteenth or by the Frederick Douglass speech "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?" Submissions will be made publicly viewable to the MCPHS community through an MCPHS Libraries exhibition LibGuide, and outstanding submissions will receive a prize.

This guide has been created as a companion for these events, as well as to share resources about Juneteenth.

Information About the Event

We would like to invite you to join a special event this summer to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday. The MCPHS Center for Health Humanities, the MCPHS Libraries, and the MCPHS DEI Team are co-sponsoring a virtual panel discussion on the 1852 Frederick Douglass speech "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?" and how it relates to our world today.  There will also be an opportunity for audience Q&A and discussion with the panel.

The event will be held via Zoom from on Tuesday, June 27 from 12:30-2:00 PM.  If you are interested in joining us, please register so we can keep you updated!

• Panel Discussion Registration Link

Accessing the Speech

The speech can be accessed online through BlackPast. 

Information About the Contest

As part of the MCPHS Juneteenth celebration, we invite current students at all MCPHS campuses and in all programs to submit creative work inspired by Juneteenth or the Frederick Douglass speech "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?"  If you are interested in participating, please upload your creative works using the submission form. 

Contest Criteria and Exhibiting Student Works

Submissions will be made publicly viewable to the MCPHS community through the MCPHS Libraries. A panel of judges will evaluate submissions based on the criteria of ambition, innovation, depth, scope, and relevance. Winners will be announced on Monday, July 17th, and will be awarded a gift card. Submissions will be made publicly viewable to the MCPHS community through an MCPHS Libraries exhibition LibGuide.

Guidelines for Submission

All submissions must be your own original creation; plagiarized materials, including those created using generative AI, will not be eligible to receive awards. Poems or other verse-based formats must be at least 12 lines long. Short stories or other narratives must be at least 500 words. You may also create visual pieces using mediums such as collage or paint, but they must be submitted in a digital file less than 10MB in size. Entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, June 30, 2023 to be eligible to receive awards. If you are submitting your work for extra credit in a Summer I class, you must do so by 11:59 PM on Friday, June 16, 2023 when the grading period for that term ends. 

Important Dates

• June 16, 2023 11:59 PM:  Deadline to upload work for course extra credit in participating Summer I courses.
• June 30, 2023 at 11:59 PM:  Deadline to upload work for contest consideration.
• July 17, 2023:  Winners announced!