Although President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 (effective January 1, 1863), the news didn’t reach Galveston, Texas until June 19, 1865. This day has been celebrated for years, first in Texas and later nationwide, as Juneteenth. The official end of slavery in the United States is something to celebrate, and many businesses and states are saying now is the time.
Inc., Nike, Twitter, the New York Times, and Vox Media are all offering employees today as a holiday. New York and Virginia are moving towards making Juneteenth an official holiday. You can celebrate without waiting for the government to act.
Juneteenth.com suggests ways to celebrate at work, some of which should be easy for you to do in your business.
To keep reading, click here: Many Companies are Closing for Juneteenth. Yours Should Too
As much as I’m rolling my eyeballs at all the bandwagin-jumping going on here (including at my own org.) why wouldn’t the US want to mark the formal end of our Original Sin with a holiday?
A day to celebrate liberation and a reminder that liberation doesn’t happen because a leader makes a proclamation–liberty is a process and we have to fight for it continuously. I’m in.
Also on the same note, the same workers (the unnoticed workers) who don’t get the luxury of all these “holidays” as either a day off or in holiday pay are still on the job. Granted there needed to be some sort of acknowledgment of this date, but there are too many holidays on the books that aren’t given to those who should have some benefit for the holiday. The only ones “celebrating” don’t work hard for their income.
Umm yeah – I get paid holidays and work my ass off – way to lump people together. I grew up in poverty and on welfare – and now have a 6 figure job – didn’t go to college – but worked worked worked – and still work hard every day.
Same… I worked 3 part time service jobs for ten years and then got an accidental corporate job and worked my way up to the head of my department and six-figures. Everyone higher up in my 1000-person company seems to work evenings, weekends, everything. I work more now than I ever did. I’m not denying that I have a bit more flexibility and way more benefits now, but I don’t see my family or friends and have health issues from stress. My company is a prestigious one and the stress to perform is extreme.