Celebrating Juneteenth by Pursuing Racial Equity

On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday, celebrating the end of slavery in the U.S. More than 60 senators signed on to support the bill, enough to overcome a filibuster. The measure still has to pass the House. 

We at Hired commend this motion. In recognition of the day, we will close our offices on Friday, June 18. This is the first year we have marked the day as a holiday and hope that other organizations will do the same. Yet we have worked for many years to combat our country and community’s historic and present forms of racism – both through our core work and mission, as well as internally in our organization’s practices, policies, and education initiatives for staff. We are optimistic to see a heightened sense of urgency and hopeful that change is possible with so many individuals and organizations alongside Hired committing to this movement.  

Hired was founded to address economic justice in the Twin Cities. We know that every person is one good job away from a stable and promising future and specialize in supporting individuals whose employment opportunities have been shaped by historic and systemic inequities. The systems of oppression we seek to counteract are ever-present today. In fact, in 2020, National Public Radio reported that in the Twin Cities, the median household income of black families was $38,178 – less than half of the median household for white families.  

Breaking down inequitable systems takes intentional, dedicated work by all of us. Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a step forward to recognize the wrongs of the past—but we must continue to work to ensure equal justice and fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation and our Constitution. We invite you to join us in spirit by celebrating Juneteenth and consider engaging in the celebrations below happening around the Twin Cities. More importantly, we invite you to do more than treat Juneteenth as another holiday. Instead, we hope you will carve out the time and space afforded by the holiday to reflect on your own journey, your privilege, and actions you can take personally to take action and contribute to meaningful change in our community.  

About Juneteenth 

Also known as Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day or Jubilee Day, Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived with federal troops in Galveston, Texas, and issued an order informing the last enslaved people in Texas that they were free. This came more than two months after the end of the Civil War and two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in the Southern states. 

It wasn’t until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in December 1865 that slavery was abolished throughout the entire country. 

In 1980, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth a holiday. A number of employers also have started to observe Juneteenth as a company holiday. The day is commonly celebrated through family gatherings and events such as parades and public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. 

 According to a June 7 fact sheet by the Congressional Research Service, 48 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday or observance. Hawaii’s state legislature also passed a bill on April 29 to observe Juneteenth, but as of the fact sheet’s publication, the bill had yet to be signed by the governor.  

 Twin Cities Juneteenth Events and Information 

 
Hired