2026 Juneteenth Celebration
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, culture, community, and Black history in America. It honors June 19,1865, the day enslaved African Americans in Texas were finally told they were free. Watch this short video to learn why Juneteenth is an important day in history:
Today, Juneteenth is a time to come together, celebrate progress, share stories, and reflect on what freedom means to each of us.
Make a Juneteenth Keychain:
What does freedom mean to you and your community?
We will be doing an art activity together, creating small illustrations that can be put into a keychain to keep around to remind us why freedom is important to us and our diverse communities. This art activity is designed to explore creativity, self expression, and community connection in a supportive and inclusive space. We encourage you all to express what makes you feel free, what community and belonging mean to you, your dreams, strengths, and individuality, and the things that bring you joy, pride, peace, and connection.
We will be supplying keychains to put your artwork into and you can see an example below in the attachments!
There is no right or wrong way to create. Every voice, idea, and piece of art matters.
Do the Juneteenth Word Search:
The RISE committee also created a Juneteenth word search, and we encourage you to learn more about the terms you search for together as a group and think about what they mean to you.
Listen to the Juneteenth Playlist:
We prepared a playlist of incredible music celebrating the black community to play during your celebration. Click here to enjoy.
2025 Lunar New Year Celebration
January 29th-February 12th 2025.
Hello everyone, and Happy Lunar New Year from The Rise Committee!
Lunar New Year is a celebration that begins on the first New Moon of the new year and ends 15 days later on the first full moon of the year. This year the Lunar New Year falls on January 29, 2025. So to celebrate, The Rise Committee would like to introduce you to a game commonly played during The Lunar New Year called, Yut Nori.
Attached below are the instructions, game board, sticks and game pieces and a Youtube tutorial to follow. Also Attached is a playlist full of Lunar New Year music, chosen personally by Rise Committee member, Annie Haynh.
Enjoy.
Sincerely,
The Rise Committee
Play Yut Nori:
Listen to the Playlist:
2024 Juneteenth Celebration
Southside’s Rise Committee
Who Are We?
The purpose of Southside’s diversity committee, R.I.S.E., is to celebrate cultural differences and ensure a workplace where there is representation, inclusion, solidarity, and ongoing education to change mindsets and encourage personal growth. We believe this lays the foundation for a safe workplace and the groundwork to make positive change!
Co-Chairs: Matt Brooks and Jenny Milby
Current Members: Bee Sparks, Annie Huynh, Dakota Medina, Lakiah Cosby, Jennifer Wager, Mary Thornsberry, Jemel Williams.
RISE Promotional Video: Find out what The RISE Committee does, and the steps to join RISE.