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A growing number of media companies have made moves this year to observe Juneteenth, following the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police on May 25.
Juneteenth, a blend of the words June and 19, celebrates the liberation of those who had been enslaved in the United States, specifically marking the day the last enslaved people were emancipated on June 19, 1865.
Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, freeing the enslaved in Confederate states, the executive order was ignored in Texas until Union General Gordon Granger arrived at the state at the end of the Civil War, announcing their liberation.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) signed an executive order Wednesday recognizing Juneteenth as a paid holiday in the state, saying, “It is a day we should all reflect upon. It is a day that is especially relevant in this moment in history.”
Media companies have followed suit. Vox Media, which owns New York Magazine, The New York Times, glossy publisher Condé Nast, ViacomCBS, and Abrams Media, home to Mediaite, are now observing the day by offering employees paid time off.
In an email to employees obtained by Mediaite, ViacomCBS announced that the company would now honor Juneteenth, “the oldest national celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.”
“On Friday we’re encouraging all teams to cancel any meetings and apply a flexible leave policy, so we can all dedicate this time to education, reflection and introspection,” the statement explained. “Through our Office of Global Inclusion and Employee Resource Groups, we’ll also be hosting virtual events to help us learn more about Juneteenth and its importance to the Black community, and our history.”
Condé Nast chief people officer Stan Duncan told staff this week that Juneteenth would be a paid holiday in an internal email also obtained by Mediaite.
“As a company dedicated to supporting the Black community across our brands and platforms, we take seriously the responsibility of being a positive force of change in our culture,” Duncan wrote. “But change must begin with us, within Condé Nast, and observing Juneteenth is an important step in our culture transformation.”
The New York Times and Vox Media posted statements to Twitter, with both company memos noting they will recognize the holiday in support of their Black colleagues:
The @nytimes is observing Juneteenth as a paid holiday this year. We have much more work to do on racial equity, but I appreciate the gesture from management. Hopefully it’s a sign of more meaningful change to come. pic.twitter.com/3aVVDm2nG4
— John Eligon (@jeligon) June 12, 2020
Vox Media will observe Juneteenth as a company holiday and is launching a fellowship program focused on HBCUs and members of NABJ, per company memo from Chief Executive Jim Bankoff: pic.twitter.com/1yXzrJv2Vo
— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) June 9, 2020
Mediate founder Dan Abrams sent an email to Abrams Media staff encouraging writers and editors to include Juneteenth in their coverage and offered employees the option of observing the day as a paid holiday.
“Over the past few weeks, issues of systematic racism and oppression have been brought to the forefront of the national discussion,” Abrams wrote in an email to staff. “This was long overdue. As I am sure you know, tomorrow marks Juneteenth, which is a historic and important day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. As a company, I want to make sure we are covering this in our programming and written content, but also want to allow employees the opportunity to take the day off to observe this day.”
Jack Dorsey also announced last week that his companies Twitter and Square would recognize the day as a company holiday and a “day for celebration, education, and connection.”
Countries and regions around the world have their own days to celebrate emancipation, and we will do the work to make those dates company holidays everywhere we are present.
— jack (@jack) June 9, 2020
