DR. MONITA MUNGO | “Juneteenth: Jubilee, History & Hope”

This lecture will examine the history and early celebrations of June 19, 1865, Juneteenth. The presentation will include consideration of some cultural traditions that are followed on this holiday, including food selections, activities, and speeches about the history of slavery and its modern impact.

Social justice as it relates to social inequality and the remnant of slavery is a popular subject of many talks given on Juneteenth. This tradition will continue as well as the inclusion of the hope of equity (not equality) and the responsibility to achieve it for all Americans.

Dr. Mungo serves as a professor of sociology at the University of Toledo. Her research explains and exposes social inequities and their outcomes in the lives of marginalized people, including the barriers created for educational achievement. Author of an Op-Ed for The Hill explaining the utility of Critical Race Theory, Mungo has appeared on several local and national news shows, including Cincinnati Public Radio, explaining the controversial theory.

Through teaching, Dr. Mungo makes the scientific study of society – sociology – relevant to students during a time when “alternative facts” have become an accepted strategy for describing social phenomena. She serves as an affiliated faculty member in the Africana Studies program and the Department of Women & Gender studies at the University of Toledo, and her academic journey includes degrees from Pepperdine University (undergraduate) and Wayne State University (graduate).