Of our 12 federal holidays in the US, Juneteenth is both the oldest and the newest. While Juneteenth just became a U.S. federal holiday in 2021, it was first celebrated in Texas on June 19, 1865, when the state’s enslaved Black people found out they were now free — a full four years before Congress granted paid time for New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Many companies have since organized official celebrations for this marker of Black emancipation. While this is all a positive step for our wider culture, companies can incorporate the spirit of Juneteenth even deeper into the DNA in their organization — better supporting Black employees (and a diverse workforce) year-round.
