How Trade Leaders Are Shifting To Embody The Spirit Of Juneteenth

TOPSHOT – Protesters play in a cloud of washable colored powder during a Marchteenth march and rally in Washington, DC, June 19, 2020 Millions of Americans face the living legacy of the nation’s racial injustice. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP via Getty Images)

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Until recently, few in American corporations recognized the juneteenth, the annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. That all changed last summer when the assassination of George Floyd and the settlement of police brutality sparked a movement for social justice.

Today, a growing list of businesses is recognizing juneteenth as a paid day off, a token of support for the black community. While observing the Juneteenth is a step in the right direction, it is just that – a step. More needs to be done to create equitable pathways, inclusive workplaces and effective approaches to empowering diverse voices. Here we’ve highlighted a few companies that are honoring Juneteenth by laying the groundwork to help achieve these goals.

Twitter

Twitter logo displayed on a phone screen. Photo illustration by Soumyabrata Roy / NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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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 corporate holiday in the United States, calling it “a day of celebration, education, and Connection”. Since then, Twitter has doubled over on diversity, equity and inclusion and is committed to ensuring that by 2025 at least 25% of its leadership positions are filled with people from underrepresented communities or women moving us and our industry forward. And we’re not stopping, “said Dalana Brand, VP of People Experience and Head of Inclusion and Diversity. It was also transparent about its shortcomings and released a report in March highlighting a lack of diversity at the top.

Spotify

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – An exterior view of Spotify Celebrates Black History is now pop-up (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok / Getty Images for Spotify)

Getty Images for Spotify

After Spotify declared Juneteenth a corporate holiday in June 2020, Spotify used its flagship weekly playlist, New Music Friday, with more than 3.5 million followers to celebrate Black Excellence, which includes all black artists. “Black artists have defined and inspired music in all genres for generations, from hip hop, R&B, soul, pop, rock, country and much more,” the company said in a statement. Then, in February, in honor of Black History Month, the audio streaming company set an example of how companies can use their unique platforms to nurture healthy, effective allies and launched Spotlight on Black Voices and Creators: an initiative which aims to celebrate Black and amplify voices all year round. Internally, over the past year, it has pursued the goal of promoting equality among its workforce by establishing employee resource groups, setting (and pursuing) diversity goals, and offering free monthly memberships to Black Band members. Most recently, the company campaigned for the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, the federal piece of legislation that makes Juneteenth a federal holiday.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

William Lee # 34 of the UAB Blazers reacts after a game against the Iowa State Cyclones in the second round of the 2015 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at KFC YUM! Center on March 19, 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

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In higher education, an industry uniquely positioned to combat social and structural racism, the University of Alabama at Birmingham has emerged as a leader in its academic forgiveness policy. The student debt crisis has hit black students harder than any other student in America, according to a recent report by the US Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. UAB now allows students to repeat up to four grades without affecting their grades. It has also set up a cultural awareness program that allows students from different backgrounds to share their unique experiences. The President of the UAB, Dr. Ray Watts, attributes the school’s reputation as a premier public institution to its focus on community “to invest in its people and the vitality of its campus.” Inclusion said a university spokesperson, “Diversity is a defining feature of Birmingham’s past, present and future. At UAB, we are committed to capitalizing on what makes Birmingham and the university pioneers in advancing inclusion.”

Adobe

Adobe Systems global headquarters in downtown San Jose, California

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When Adobe announced last June, “to all Adobe employees [Juneteenth] focus on reflection and advocacy, ”the multinational computer software company also launched Taking Action, an initiative to accelerate the representation, development, and success of black employees. “At Adobe, we have a responsibility to address structural inequality in our communities and in society,” said CEO Shantanu Narayen and CHRO Gloria Chen in a letter to all Adobe employees. “To be successful, we have to operate in a society where everyone is empowered.” Since then, says Chen, it has already had an impact: “We have used our platform to expand the stories of black creators with Diverse Voices, Adobe Stock Advocates and our film ‘When I See Black’. We campaigned for more US government funding for access to education and called on the US Senate to take action against the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. “

Edited by Forbes Fellow, Eric Johnson