Until recently, few in corporate America recognized Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.
Until recently, few in corporate America recognized Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. That changed last summer, when the killing of George Floyd and reckoning with police brutality sparked a social justice movement. Today, a growing list of companies recognize Juneteenth as a paid day off, a signal of support for the Black community. While observing Juneteenth is a step in the right direction, it’s just that—a step. More needs to be done to create equitable pathways, inclusive workplaces and effective approaches to amplifying diverse voices. Here, we’ve highlighted a few businesses that are honoring Juneteenth by laying the groundwork to achieve these goals. Twitter headquarters in San Francisco, California. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg On June 9, 2020, the day of George Floyd’s funeral, Jack Dorsey announced that his companies, Twitter and Square, had made Juneteenth an annual company holiday in the U.S., calling it “A day for celebration, education and connection.” Since then, Twitter has doubled down on diversity, equity and inclusion, pledging to ensure at least 25% of its executive roles are filled by those from underrepresented communities or women by 2025. “We’re continuing to take bold steps, and each is intended to push us, and our industry, forward. And we’re not stopping,» said Dalana Brand, vice president of people experience and head of inclusion and diversity. It’s also been transparent about its shortcomings, publishing in March a report that revealed a dearth of diversity at the top.
