Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Newsletter

Dear Golden Eagles,

I hope you are enjoying the warm weather and will be taking some much-deserved time off.

The month of June marks two major occasions, PRIDE Month and Juneteenth. June 1st kicked off PRIDE month across the United States. Here is some information about the historical roots of PRIDE and how you can celebrate.

Key Facts about PRIDE:

• PRIDE honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising; a turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the country.

• The first PRIDE march took place in Manhattan in June of 1970 on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

• Over the past 50+ years, PRIDE has grown to include parties, workshops, concerts, and memorials for members of the LGBTQIA+ community who were lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.

Rochester LGBT Community Events

FYI: SUNY Brockport will once again, participate in Rochester’s PRIDE Parade, Saturday, July 18, 2026. Additional information is forthcoming, from the Center for Gender Diversity and Sexuality.

SUNY Brockport will be closed, Friday, June 19, 2026, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. As an official state holiday, Juneteenth also known as Black Independence Day, Liberation Day, Freedom Day, and Emancipation Day, is the oldest celebration that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth celebrations typically include enjoying family barbeques, giving prayers, honoring the ancestors, celebrating the successes of the Black community, holding community parades, rodeos, pageants, and playing trivia games focusing on Black history with family and friends. This is a great opportunity to celebrate this significant moment in United States history.

Key Facts about Juneteenth:

• Origin and Purpose: It all started in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth is a day of remembrance, education and celebration of African American heritage, while also serving as a reminder of the ongoing pursuit of equality.

• Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, making it a legal holiday in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

• The holiday has been also called Jubilee Day; Rochester has its annual Jubilee Festival Sunday, July 26th from 4:00 -7:00pm at City of Rochester Public Market. 

KUDOS! SUNY Brockport’s Title II Accessibility Efforts

The Title II Accessibility Team, including Dr. Jessica Sniatecki, Jay Harwood and Shari Hardenbrook, continues to advance digital accessibility across campus through new resources, training, and collaborative initiatives.

This year, the team launched a Digital Accessibility website and consultation service, secured a SUNY EIT Accessibility Grant, and hired a Temporary Digital Accessibility Assistant to support accessibility efforts. The team also reached more than 300 faculty members through outreach and training, established new communities of practice, and led recognition programs that promote accessible teaching and learning. Their successful coordination of the Digital Accessibility Symposium attracted more than 200 attendees from across SUNY.

The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion extends our gratitude to the Title II Accessibility Team for the leadership they provided to not only ensure we’re compliant with federal regulations, but more importantly, that Brockport is an inclusive environment for all members of our community.

The Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion would like to wish everyone a great summer and we will resume the newsletter in the early fall!