Twitter and Square are on board. Nike is just doing it, too.
They’ve joined the growing list of companies that have committed to honoring Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Celebrated on June 19, the holiday dates back to 1865 when Gordon Granger, a major general in the Union Army, arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that slavery was over—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Hella Creative, which describes itself as a Bay Area collective, has been compiling a list of companies that have said they would honor Juneteenth this year. That list is growing in the wake of George Floyd’s death in May and the nationwide protests that have taken place in support of Black Lives Matter.
Twitter and Square will both give employees a paid day off on June 19, according to Jack Dorsey, CEO of both firms. Sneaker giant Nike announced yesterday it will do the same.
You can see the full list of companies here.
Most states honor Juneteenth as a state holiday, but unlike, say, Washington’s Birthday or Memorial Day, Juneteenth is not a federal holiday.
That’s why it’s up to companies to take the lead. If you’re part of a company that has committed to celebrating Juneteenth, you can add the information to Hella Creative’s spreadsheet and let the world know.
If you’re an employee of a company that has not yet publicly committed to celebrating Juneteenth, the collective has created a “Juneteenth Employee Request Template,” which offers suggestions on how to ask your employer or manager to consider instituting this change.
And if you just want to learn more about Juneteenth and its history, you can do that here.
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