Juneteenth (short for June 19th) marks an important moment in American history, but not many Americans are aware of the annual emancipation holiday which honors the end of slavery in the United States and celebrates the freedom of Black Americans. The holiday is celebrated to commemorate the day when American forces declared that enslaved people in Texas were to be freed. On June 19, 1865, a Union General in Galveston, Texas announced that the Civil War had ended and the slaves had been freed. Although the Emancipation Proclamation became law in January 1863, it took two years for approximately 250,000 slaves to learn of their freedom. In 1872, seven years after slavery was outlawed in formerly Confederate states, a group of Black ministers and businessmen raised enough money to purchase 10 acres of parkland in Texas. The land, now known as Emancipation Park, offered surrounding Black communities a safe place they could celebrate Juneteenth. The holiday’s resurgence has been underway since then.
In 1980, Texas became the first state to designate Juneteenth as a holiday. Since then, at least 47 states and the District of Columbia have moved to officially recognize the day. On June 16, 2021, the House of Representatives and Senate voted overwhelmingly to make Juneteenth a national federal holiday and President Biden signed it into law the following day. This new law makes Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday for federal employers but also opens the door for other employers to acknowledge this holiday, which signifies resilience for Black Americans who suffered and survived slavery.
As workplaces move to create more inclusive spaces and intentionally cultivate diverse workforces, recognizing holidays that are major milestones in American history will be important so employees of all backgrounds and experiences feel a part of the company culture. Juneteenth, while a symbol of freedom for Black Americans, is a “unifier because it recognizes that slaves didn’t free themselves and that they had help, from Quakers along the Underground Railroad, abolitionists both black and white like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, soldiers and many others who gave their lives for the freedom of the enslaved.” (Opal Lee)
Companies of all sizes and industries were challenged in 2021 and continue to grapple with multiple priorities. Now that Juneteenth has been declared a federal holiday, organizations have another opportunity to build upon their learnings in 2021, move beyond the check-the-box DEI training and offer more immersive experiences for leaders and employees to learn and develop their cultural competence. With the heightened spotlight on racial equity and justice, companies are taking action in different ways and may choose this holiday as a way to demonstrate that.
Here are some ways your organization can work towards creating an inclusive workplace and commemorating Juneteenth:
- Make Juneteenth a company-wide day or week of education, provide learning opportunities and create meaningful experiences for employees to connect.
- Offer internal educational events to provide a conversation about the history of Juneteenth and the effect on Black Americans.
- Recognize Juneteenth as a company-wide holiday.
- Create a diversity scorecard for your organization.
- Encourage employees to use their volunteer day so they can get involved in their communities, volunteer their time and educate themselves.
- Offer extended self-care benefit options with your Black employees in mind.
Recognizing Juneteenth is an impactful way to reflect on America’s history and it provides an opportunity to educate employees about Black history. Ultimately, Juneteenth should be acknowledged because it’s a day when all Americans were liberated. It’s a momentous day not only for Black Americans to celebrate, but all Americans to celebrate freedom.
Nobody’s free, until everybody’s free.Fannie Lou Hamer
