>> CATHY: NEXT MONDAY, MINNESOTA JOINS 25 OTHER STATES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN RECOGNIZING JUNETEENTH AS AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY.

JUNETEENTH MARKS THE DATE THAT THE FINAL SLAVES IN TEXAS LEARNED THEY WERE FREE, NEARLY TWO AND A HALF YEARS AFTER THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.

BLACK AMERICANS HAVE CELEBRATED JUNETEENTH FOR DECADES.

THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA IS ONE OF MANY PLACES HOSTING EVENTS THIS WEEKEND.

JOINING US IS THE EVENT DIRECTOR, TERRESA MOSES, A PROFESSOR OF GRAPHIC DESIGN AT THE "U" WHO HEADS UP THEIR DESIGN JUSTICE NETWORK.

IS DID YOU CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH WHEN YOU WERE A KID?

>> I ABSOLUTELY DID.

I'M ACTUALLY FROM TEXAS.

>> Cathy: OKAY!

>> SO, YES, I ABSOLUTELY CELEBRATED THAT AND CAME UP TO MINNESOTA AND WAS LIKE, WHY IS EVERYONE NOT CELEBRATING IT.

>> Cathy: SO TELL US JUST HOW BIG F A DEAL WAS IT IN TEXAS?

>> YEAH, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT JUNETEENTH N TEXAS, WE TALK ABOUT THE TEENTHS, AND SO YOU HAVE A WEEK-LONG CELEBRATION, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW NEWS TRAVELED.

SO WE WOULD HAVE PARADES, EVENTS, ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENT FOR US.

>> Eric: HOW DID THE U OF M GET SO INVOLVED IN HAVING A CELEBRATION FOR JUNETEENTH?

>> SO I WOULD HAVE TO LIKE TO THETOOT MY OWN HORN HERE.

THE OFFICE OF QEFNL AND EQUITY AND DIVERSITY, WHAT SHOULD WE DO FOR JUNETEENTH?

LET'S DO A HUGE BLOCK PARTY.

AND SO THE FIRST TIME WE DID THAT WAS LAST YEAR.

AND THE HOLIDAY WASN'T LIKE AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY YET FOR THE UNIVERSITY.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY PUSHED FOR.

AND THEN THIS YEAR, THE SECOND ANNUAL JUNETEENTH EVENT, IS, YOU KNOW, NOW IT'S AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY.

SO IT KIND OF PAIRS REALLY NICELY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR.

>> Cathy: I WANT TO GO BACK JUST TO THE IMPORTANCE OF JUNETEENTH FOR FOLKS WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AND WHY IS IT REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A HOLIDAY?

>> YEAH, I THINK I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE ATTACK ON BLACK HISTORY HAPPENING IN OUR NATION AT THIS MOMENT AND THAT BEING REALLY AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RECOGNIZING BLACK HISTORY OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT JUNETEENTH, WE TALK ABOUT IT BEING FREEDOM DAY BECAUSE IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE FREEDOM.

AND SO I THINK IT'S THAT'S A REALLY A BIG PART OF THE CELEBRATION THAT WE'RE HAVING ON SATURDAY IS TO INTERWEAVE ALL OF THOSE CONCEPTS AND THEME HE'S THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.

>> Cathy: SO SOME OF THE THEMES THAT WE'VE SEEN, YOU'RE CELEBRATING JOY, RESISTANCE, ANDS REST.

>> YES, YES, AND SO THOSE EVENTS -- THOSE CONCEPTS ARE SUPER IMPORTANT.

WE TALK ABOUT THE BLACK EXPERIENCE BEING AS NUANCED AS IT IS.

AND SO NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE BLACK EXPERIENCE AS ONE OF RESISTANCE AND STRUGGLE AND RESILIENCY AND WHILE IT IS ALL THOSE THINGS, IT'S ALSO FILLED WITH REALLY GREAT TIMES OF JOY.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE RECOGNIZE THE BLACK EXPERIENCE, THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT THEME AS WELL.

AND THEN IN THE EVENT, WE WANT TO HAVE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE WITH REST, WHERE THEY CAN BREATHE, WHERE THEY CAN JUST EXIST AND BE.

>> Eric: ARE YOU ENCOURAGED WHEN THE MINNESOTA HOUSE WHEN THIS CAME UP, THE VOTE WAS 126 TO 1 TO APPROVE THE HOLIDAY.

>> I THINK I'M SUPER ENCOURAGED BY THAT.

BUT COMMUNITY HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR DECADES.

LIKE YOU HAD SAID EARLIER.

AND I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY NICE TO HAVE THEN POLICY THAT SOLIDIFIES IT.

AND SO IT DOES MAKE IT FEEL, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE SUPPORTED.

>> Eric: GIVE US THE WHERE AND WHEN OF YOUR ACTIVITIES AT THE U.

>> SO OUR ACTIVITIES ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO UNOUT IN FRONT OF THE UNIVERSITY EASE RESEARCH AND OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT CENTER, OUT IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, 2001, PLYMOUTH AVENUE NORTH, AT 12:00 O 6:00 TOMORROW, WHICH IS SATURDAY, JUNE 17TH.

AND IT WILL BE AN ALL DAY BLOCK PARTY, FREE, EVERYTHING.

EVERYTHING IN THAT EVENT IS FREE.

EXPHEPT WHEN OUR MERCHANTS ARE COMING, OUR BLACK VENDORS, WE WANT O SUPPORT OUR BLACK BUSINESSES.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH A MARCH AT 12:00.

WE'LL HAVE A ROSE DROP MEMORIAL.

AGAIN, REMEMBERING THE HISTORY, UNDERSTANDING THE FREE AND THE UNFREE.

AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO A CELEBRATION.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LIVE PERFORMANCES.

WE'LL HAVE SPEAKERS.

WE'LL HAVE A TON OF MUSICIANS, WORKSHOPS, A POSTER SHOW CASE AND A TON OF ACTIVITIES FOR OUR KIDS.

>> Eric: YOU SELL IT BEAUTIFULLY AND I WONDER IF YOU FEEL THERE'S ROOM OR EXPANDING.

>> YES, AS SOON AS ALL THESE FOLKS SUPPORT US WITH THEIR CHECKS, WE'LL BE EXPANDING IT EVEN MORE, ABSOLUTELY.

BUT I THINK THIS YEAR, GIVEN LAST YEAR'S VERY TIGHT BUDGET AND ALSO TIMELINE, WE HAD LIKE SIX WEEKS TO UT THAT THING TOGETHER, THIS YEAR WITH OUR ORGANIZING TEAM, WE'VE HAD ALMOST SINCE JANUARY.

>> Eric: DID THE REGENTS COME ONE SOME MONEY FOR YOU?

>> THEY DID.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY.

IT'S HALF COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AND HALF OF THE UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES.

THAT ARE HELPING TO ORGANIZE THIS EVENT.

SO I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

>> Cathy: YOU GOT A LOT GOING ON BUT YOU GOT TO HAVE SOME FOOD TOO.

>> OH, WE HAVE SO MUCH FOOD.

[ Laughter ] WE HAVE SO MUCH FOOD.

A TON OF STUFF FOR FOLKS TO DO.

A TON OF GIVE-AWAYS FOR FOLKS AND OUR KIDS IS SUPER EXCITING.

WE'LL HAVE ROLLER SKATING.

PETTING ZOO, BOUNCY HOUSE.

FACE PAINTING, FREE HAIR CUTS FOR KIDS.

WE HAVE A TON OF ACTIVITIES.

AND SO WE WANT FOLKS TO SOME CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH WITH S. >> Cathy: DO YOU SEE THIS MOVING INTO A MULTI-DAY CELEBRATION SOMEDAY?

>> THAT WOULD BE AMAZING.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON IS MAKING SURE WE INTEGRATE OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING.

IS TO NOT TAKE OVER ANYTHING BUT TO REALLY INTEGRATE OURSELVES WITH WITHIN THAT.

SO IF THAT MEANS US PARTNERING ON SUNDAY WITH ANOTHER EVENT THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING ON SUNDAY OR THE ACTUAL DAY OF JUNETEENTH, WHICH IS MONDAY.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

HAVE A GREAT TIME.