UAPB chancellor joins Pine Bluff’s Juneteenth enjoyable downtown, able to rejoice

PINE BLUFF, Ark. (KATV) — Downtown Pine Bluff is getting set for “Juneteenth in the Bluff,” and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is true in the midst of the celebration.

UAPB, described because the second-oldest HBCU within the state of Arkansas, is participating within the occasion, and Chancellor Anthony Graham stated he’s desirous to see the group prove.

“Yeah, very excited, looking forward to all the folks coming down downtown here and engaging in the activity,” Graham stated. “So I’m really, really excited, and I have to say, thank you to all the folks who’ve been working with this at the city, at the university, the AMP Commission. Very excited for what we’re about to do this evening.”

Graham stated Juneteenth is price celebrating not just for Black historical past, however for the nation as an entire.

“Yeah, first of all, as an HBCU, it’s important that we celebrate our history, and I always remind people it’s just not African American history, this is American history, this is a part of who we are as a country,” he stated. “So, as we’re talking about America 250 we have to celebrate Juneteenth. So, for us, the world is a stage we believe in teaching outside the classroom, and this is an opportunity to teach about Juneteenth outside the classroom.”

Beyond the festivities, Graham additionally highlighted what’s new on campus, together with work tied to AI pupil engagement and several other educational and development initiatives.

“Yeah, we got a lot of great things happening on the on the campus,” he stated. “We have a new engineering program, a new cyber security program, we have a student engagement center that we’re about to open. We’re beginning construction on a health and allied sciences building, a number of renovated centers, and so forth. So, a lot of activity on the campus to really stimulate the intellectual curiosity of our students and the community at large.”

As Pine Bluff celebrates, Graham additionally used the second to encourage future college students, together with grownup learners, to think about UAPB.

“Excellent university, we want not just young students, we want adults as well,” he stated. “There are a number of adult learners who have stopped that need to come back. We’ve got folks at community colleges who are completing degrees, so we have our doors open to anyone who’s interested in learning and evolving. That’s who we are as an institution, and that’s what we want to ensure that we are investing in this community.”

For the chancellor, the largest spotlight of the evening comes all the way down to group.

“It’s about the fellowship, it’s about educating people, it’s about really bringing the community together, galvanizing around this one central idea of our heritage, and being prideful of who we are,” Graham stated. “So, that’s what I’m really excited about this evening.”