President Cropper kicked-off the event with a welcome and a call to action – See. Act. Solve. His remarks can be found here.
The guest speaker for the afternoon was Dr. Dawn-Elissa Fischer, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at San Francisco State University and founder of DefProfessor/Edutainment4Life, an equity and racial justice consulting group in the Bay Area.
As a federally recognized holiday, Juneteenth commemorates the freedom of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Dr. Fischer delivered a moving and inspirational keynote address entitled "Black California Freedom Dream" and invited attendees to dream of a better future for themselves and the Cal Maritime community. Dr. Fischer’s keynote address presented a unique opportunity for Cal Maritime to not only learn about Juneteenth but also reflect on our roles in creating transformative change.
A special thank you to the DEI Council's Juneteenth Committee members Robin Bates, Denise Bennett, Rhonda Pate, Angel Warren and King Xiong for their excellent work in organizing a beautiful event.
ABOUT CAL MARITIME
Established in 1929, California State University Maritime Academy is the only degree-granting
maritime academy on the West Coast. Located in Vallejo, California, the campus offers
undergraduate degrees that prepare students for careers in engineering, transportation,
international relations, business, and global logistics. Cal Maritime also offers
a master’s degree in Transportation and Engineering Management, as well as a number
of extended learning programs and courses.