In observance of Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of African slaves in America, the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) is organizing a weekend of action to demand divestment from police departments and investment in black communities.
The History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a day that honors black freedom and resistance and centers black people’s unique contribution to the struggle for justice in the United States. The first Juneteenth celebration was organized by newly freed slaves on June 19, 1866, to mark the end of American slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation declared all slaves as legally free in January 1863, it took years before the news traveled to all parts of the country. It was also harder to enforce the executive order in rebellious Southern states like Texas where there were few Union troops. As a result, African American slaves were still working on plantations as late as 1865, while 250,000 people were still enslaved in Texas.
However, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers traveled to Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and all enslaved people were free. Newly freed slaves rejoiced in the streets and the following year, freedman organized the first June 19, or Juneteenth, celebrations.
Today, Juneteenth is observed in 45 states as a holiday that celebrates freedom.
Demanding Justice on Juneteenth
To commemorate Juneteenth, African Americans typically engage in barbecuing, rodeos, fishing, prayer services, and baseball games. The day also serves as a time for reflection and an opportunity to trace their family roots. This year, however, the M4BL is expanding the holiday into a weekend of action.
“This Juneteenth is a rare moment for our communities to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, and that we won’t tolerate anything less than justice for all our people,” said the organization in a press release.
Titled SixNineteen, the Juneteenth weekend of action includes several digital actions and marches around the country to push three causes: defunding the police, investing in black communities, and the resignation of President Donald Trump. Although details about the actions have not been provided, the group said June 19 will be dedicated to celebrating black beauty and resilience, while marches will be organized for June 20, and the focus for June 21 will be to get Trump out of office.
“Electoral justice and political power are often pitted against activism and protest, but in our movement they are deeply connected and a requirement for one and the other to coexist, said Jessica Byrd, an organizer with the Movement For Black Lives Electoral Justice Project, in a statement.
“For the last six years we have collectively taken a national course in police violence, and we now know some solutions that have been offered, have not borne fruit in terms of reducing or eliminating police violence, said Mervyn Marcano, the co-founder of Blackbird. “We believe this weekend of action will continue to lift people’s spirits at the same time that they are fighting for justice in the streets.”
“How can we say that we don’t want African-American influencers applying for this campaign without offending anybody?”
That was the start of a very real conversation with a colleague at a marketing agency I worked at. During a campaign planning meeting for a beauty brand, filled with sales managers and directors, not one person of color was in the room when they came to the conclusion that Black women wouldn’t be a good fit to promote the product.
As the Community Manager, it was my job to help them get the message across.
Instead, I educated my colleague on why the beauty brand’s excuse that they “don’t have shades for Black women” was ridiculous. Black women come in shades from alabaster to ebony. Then I asked why no one in the room pushed back on behalf of our influencers. And why no one escorted the beauty brand out of the room because their values weren’t a good fit for ours.
But I already knew the answer.
No one in the room was Black. None of these things had even crossed their minds.
I left the company a few months later before I even had another job lined up. I was exhausted from being the only minority representative, and I didn’t have any real power anyway.
Over the last few days, some of my favorite brands and companies have shared graphics sharing their stance on social justice, and particularly Black Lives Matter.
It doesn’t go unnoticed as my friends and I keep track of who is solidly proclaiming themselves to be down for the cause. And also as we watch those who are silent.
As my inbox filled with letters of solidarity signed by CEOs of major companies, I started to wonder. If these folks believe that Black Lives Matter, then why don’t they hire Black lives and put them in positions of power at their organizations to start dismantling the economic imbalance between white men and virtually everyone else in this country?
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
It’s quite simple, really. They don’t have to. It’s too much work. It’s not that important to them. No one is holding them accountable.
The first rebuttal companies usually have for why their company doesn’t have any Black people in leadership positions is that there is a lack of talent in the pipeline. That is so lazy. But, I’ll play along.
So that there is no confusion, here are some ideas for finding skilled Black professionals:
Recruit at historically Black colleges and universities
When Fortune 500 or tech companies are looking for new talent, they rarely venture outside of the Ivy Leagues or high-ranked PWIs. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (save for a few of the faves like Howard, Spelman, and Morehouse) are left off of the recruitment itinerary.
If they were to venture outside of the comfort zone of schools that feel familiar, companies would find a gigantic pool of brilliant Black folks. Schools like North Carolina A&T, Morgan State University, or my alma mater, Fayetteville State University, are not only training professionals who can do the work. They’re also raising leaders with a strong understanding of the importance of community, exemplary social competency, and a global perspective that takes good brands and helps them to become great.
Hire a staffing company that is committed to, and trained in, unbiased interview and hiring practices
The most obvious reason that some hiring managers think there are no qualified Black professionals is that recruiters never even sent the Black professionals’ resumes along. They take a look at the name on the resume, or the college, and press delete.
If you want to be sure your company has an unbiased hiring practice, and you want your team to be diverse and inclusive, it’s important to have a staffing company or staff that understands what the biases are that they need to avoid in the first place.
Take your interviews seriously
When you interview a Black professional, give them your attention. Put down your phone (looking at you tech companies), engage, and listen to the candidate’s skills and experience.
Black women are notoriously (underpaid and) under-titled. At one job, I wrote the original curriculum 2-4 times a year for thousands of students in grades K-12. I created and led workshops for hundreds of educators. I also represented the organization as a speaker and presenter locally and nationally. My title? Arts Specialist.
If you’re only looking at the resume, and not taking the opportunity to dig deeper, you’re likely missing out on some amazing talent.
Google. Search LinkedIn. Share your job listing with professional African-American organizations
It always blows my mind when huge tech companies filled with brilliant geniuses can’t figure out how to do the bare minimum to find qualified Black employees. Seriously. Do better.
Now let’s unpack why you’re overlooking the Black people who already work for you.
Ever since I started working, I’ve seen Black women, in particular, be overlooked for leadership positions that they were more than qualified for. In some cases, they were already doing the work. Sometimes an outside candidate would get the job. In other instances, a ringer from inside the company (i.e. the boss’s niece) ended up with the role.
Here’s what I believe. I believe that some white leaders are unwilling to promote Black professionals to leadership positions because they don’t want the headache of being called to task. Not just on matters of diversity, but about anything that is outside the scope of their lived experience and thus is not that important to them.
I think some white leaders don’t want to promote Black professionals to leadership positions because the thought of opening up their personal life and getting to know someone who might have a different background than them feels exhausting and they don’t want to do it.
The most egregious and hurtful reason Black professionals aren’t promoted to leadership positions? Because no matter how much we do for the company, regardless of how much time, energy, effort, and heart we put into the work, many white leaders just can’t see a Black person as their equal.
That marketing agency I worked at didn’t even consider how hurtful it would be and how unsafe their request would make me feel. I wasn’t like them. I didn’t have feelings.
If you shared about Black Lives Matter, but it’s not reflected in your organization, I’m not discrediting your sentiment. I see your gesture, and I appreciate you trying.
That graphic? That was step one.
Actually, that was the prologue.
If you truly believe that Black Lives Matter, show it by using this moment as an opportunity to learn how to support actual Black lives in getting what matters to us.
And really, it’s the same thing that matters to you.
To create a legacy for our children.
To build great products, tell interesting stories, and serve our fellow humans.
Liberty. And justice.
That’s all.
Brandi Riley is an Oakland-based Parenting Influencer, Community Manager, and Educator. Follow her on Instagram at @BrandiJeter.
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Native Son, a Black gay men’s empowerment organization, presented a virtual event to discuss how to be prepared in a COVID-19 infected society.
Founder Emil Wilbekin hosted “The Black Gay Leadership Forum COVID 19: Rebuilding Our Brave New World,” providing a general forum for those interested in topical events with a heavy emphasis on creating a dialogue in light of the pandemic.
The event is a series of national and international annual gatherings since the inception of Native Son four years ago. With most public events shuttered due to safety concerns, it was decided that the Black Gay Leadership Forum would be done remotely and centered around the disease.
“The initial idea was COVID-19 focused; [it was] about how can I bring together a group of Black gay leaders to come up with ideas on how we sustain and support the Black gay community,” Wilbekin told theGrio.
Emil Wilbekin accepts the Advocate Award at the 13th Annual ADCOLOR Awards at JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE on September 08, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Erik Voake/Getty Images for ADCOLOR)
Consisting of five panels in a Zoom video call, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, June 10, the event talked about a wide range of topics such as health/healthcare, social justice, the economy, labor, and trauma.
Being a former media executive turned advocate has its perks, one of them is having prominent gay figures and allies join the conference. The panels had a wide range of talent represented, such as activist DeRay Mckesson of Black Lives Matter fame, CNN’s Don Lemon, other fellow Black gay journalists LZ Granderson and Jonathan Capehart, Valerie Jarrett, the former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, and even singer and songwriter Andra Day, who performed her hit song “Rise Up.”
The 8-hour gay event was vibrant and engaging with a consistent view of about 120 people with 250 who registered, exceeding Wilbekin’s expectations. However, enjoyable as it was, its main purpose was to highlight how disadvantaged Black gay men are in the pandemic.
Free rainbow face masks are distributed during coronavirus pandemic by members of Krakow Equality Centre DOM EQ. Krakow, Poland on May 10th, 2020. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
This year’s pride month coincides with some of the biggest challenges they will face. Some people in the LGBTQ+ community are facing disparities from the pandemic and the intersection of sexually transmitted diseases. It is also worth noting that the virus has impacted African Americans the hardest.
“Black gay men are impacted more by the COVID-19. [There are those with] underline and preexisting conditions. The fact that 50% of our community, roughly, according to the CDC, is HIV+ or living with AIDs,” Wilbekin said.
Amid the beginning of the outbreak, data specific information of LGBTQ+ and Black people were scarce, Wilbekin told theGrio. Knowing his community would not be prioritized, Wilbekin sought ways to bring awareness.
While the COVID-19 pandemic drove most of the conversation, recent developments in race relations, concerns about voting, dealing with isolation, and the civil unrest derived from George Floyd‘s police-involved death received noteworthy mentioning.
As Wilbekin explained at the beginning of the session, Black Lives Matter, which was formed by three queer Black women, implemented a pathway to leadership for Black men regardless of their sexual orientation. Although he did not partake in the weeklong protests, Wilbekin is seeing more Black gay men on the frontline and hopes Native Son could empower others.
The 52-year-old advocate told theGrio he has an interest in doing more virtual events, opting to focus specifically on singular topics and industries.
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Acknowledged annually on June 19, the former regional holiday provokes celebration in Black communities nationwide. Juneteenth, a portmanteau of the calendar date, is rooted in Texas and commemorates the ending of slavery. The homegrown holiday’s Southern beginnings have evolved into a day of recognition for freedom and legacy in African American communities.
On June 19, 1865, the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation two-and-a-half years after former President Abraham Lincoln signed the historical act. According to the National Museum Of African American History and Culture, approximately 2,000 troops, lead by General Gordon Grange, arrived in the southern state announcing the freedom of over 250,000 enslaved slaves.
The Lone Star State, before being taken over, had become a safe place for citizens who were not willing to give up their human property. Once the decree was known the moment became engraved in society forever. Now feasts, parades, church programs and more erupt every late spring, however, this was not always the case.
Juneteenth.com reports early gatherings for the holiday were not easy as many Black people had yet to become landowners. Festivities were barred from many public spaces. Although Emancipation Park was acquired in 1898 in Houston, celebrations dwindled down in the early 1900s due to cultural and economic reasons.
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s inspired a resurgence in Juneteenth festivities. In 1980, the state of Texas became the first to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday.
In 2020, Juneteenth is recognized by all but three states (Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota) as the country is intertwined in another civil rights movement, calling for social justice and the end of police brutality. Many communities hold local celebrations for the commemorated holiday and individual families often plan cookouts and other gatherings empowering their familial bonds.
There are multiple ways to uplift Black liberation and resistance during Juneteenth. Scrolling through social media, several campaigns for the annual recognition of emancipation have been proposed, including flocking to Black-owned businesses, uploading moments of Black beauty and Black joy to social media, and taking a break from the stressful digital streets.
As corporations continue recent abrupt changes in efforts to create equal work environments, Juneteenth has been named an official paid holiday at the offices of Twitter, Nike, the NFL, and The New York Times, among several who made the information public via social media.
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
After almost 100 years on the market, it appears Band-Aid has suddenly realized that “flesh tone” isn’t a universal color and is coming out with a new line of differently hued products that “embrace the beauty of diverse skin.”
“We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues, collaborators and community in the fight against racism, violence and injustice. We are committed to taking actions to create tangible change for the Black community,” the lengthy post contained.
“We are committed to launching a range of bandages in light, medium and deep shades of Brown and Black skin tones that embrace the beauty of diverse skin. We are dedicated to inclusivity and providing the best healing solutions, better representing you.”
READ MORE: Walmart announces end to putting ‘multicultural’ products in locked cases
In addition to what many see as a symbolic gesture, the post also clarified that they, “will be making a donation to @blklivesmatter,” and also promised that this is just, “the first among many steps together in the fight against systemic racism.”
“We can, we must and we will do better,” the message concludes.
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There are many milestones a person wants to accomplish before the age of 30. Many young professionals dream of becoming successful in their field in their 20s so they can transition into the next phase of life and become more stable. One Ghanian woman became the youngest woman in the country to launch her own accredited college.
Twenty-eight-year old entrepreneur and business coach Caroline Esinam Adzogble is the youngest woman not only in Ghana but in all of Africa to launch her very own accredited international college, Potters International College based out of Accra, Ghana. She started the educational institution in 2016 at the age of 22. Her goal was to create a place that could offer career training programs to current working professionals and students for jobs in the tech field. Adzogble was still studying business administration and computer science in college when she initially launched the school in 2012 as an IT training institution.
Adzogble is also the founder of IAES Africa, a platform for international student recruitment and institutional partnership that has recruits across 43 countries. She is also the president and co-founder of Caroline University and runs several other businesses while being a global advocate for education and the president of Mercy Heart Foundation, which provides merit-based scholarships for students to study abroad on a tuition-free basis. Her other ventures include Admission in 30 Minutes, Everyday Travels and Tours, and Caroline Technology Solutions.
“I am on the quest to uplift education within Africa and beyond, to make education the most accessible and affordable to students located in over 146 countries,” said Adzogble in a local interview according to Face2Face Africa.
She is also the CEO of the Caroline Group, a major business conglomerate originating from West Africa, Ghana, and is one of the largest in the education sector across the region.
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A new survey shows that a hefty 64% of African Americans workers believe that their workplace struggles with racism and discrimination.
That belief among black Americans is much higher than the 44% of Americans overall who think racism and discrimination is an issue where they work but well below the 76% of Americans as a whole who think that racism and discrimination is an issue at U.S. workplaces in general.
The ratings and review firm Clutch surveyed 755 workers across the nation in early June and learned that 62% back the non-violent protest following the death of George Floyd.
Data from the Clutch 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Survey further revealed that businesses should not be scared to approach issues like racism, diversity, and inclusion publicly and privately.
African Americans are more likely to think their company should address the issues that blossomed from the protests. Some 59% expect their company to respond to Floyd’s death and resulting protests.
Around 61% of those surveyed have experienced workplace discrimination either personally or as a witness, though many workers don’t feel there are discriminatory practices at their company.
Kristen Herhold, a senior content writer and marketer at Clutch, says her firm found that African American workers are more likely to say racism and discrimination is a problem at their workplace. She added that’s because they, along with other underrepresented groups, are more likely to notice microaggressions, or less overt actions of prejudice such as small comments, gestures, or actions.
“People may not think their office is discriminating because they’re not the ones being discriminated against,” she says.
Other top survey findings were that 49% of workers say their company has addressed the protests in some way, including releasing public statements (30%), holding open discussions with leadership (19%), and donating to causes (10%). Fifty-five percent of workers believe their company should address Floyd’s death and the resulting protests.
Most employees—65%—are satisfied with how their business has responded to Floyd’s death and the resulting protests, while 29% believe their company should do more.
Demographically, younger generations appear to be more adamant that discrimination is a problem at workplaces: Some 55% of millennial and younger workers think it’s a major issue, versus 42% of Generation Xers and 34% of baby boomers and older.
The survey revealed 54% of workers at large businesses contend that racism is an workplace issue versus 35% at small businesses. Clutch reported larger businesses have more of an influence on the general public, boosting their likelihood of addressing issues. Some of the nation’s biggest companies have pledged to back the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of Floyd’s death and the protests.
And despite a company’s size, some workers are persuaded racism is a problem at workplaces in America. Clutch reported there are just four black CEOs on the 2020 Fortune 500 list, with Marvin Ellison at Lowe’s being the highest-ranked one.
A group ofChicagopolice officers are under fire after being caught on camera lounging in the burglarized office of a U.S. congressman, amid civil unrest in the city.
The incident took place around 1:00am on June 1, during protests over the death ofGeorge Floyd, who was killed by a former Minneapolis police officer late last month.Floyd’s death sparked nationwide and international demonstrations over race relations and police brutality.
Three supervisors and 10 other officers were captured on surveillance “having a little hangout for themselves, while small businesses on the South Side were looted and burned,” said MayorLori Lightfoot, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
As many as 13 Chicago police officers broke into Rep. Bobby Rush’s Chicago campaign offices to lounge on chairs, drink coffee and make popcorn while looters vandalized nearby businesses in the wake of the killing of George Floyd https://t.co/1KOXrLhHFjpic.twitter.com/ldEQrYaQiD
The viral video shows the officers preparing popcorn, drinking coffee and napping on the couch inside the office of U.S. Rep.Bobby Rush, D-Illinois, according toThe Washington Post.
“They even had the unmitigated gall to go and make coffee for themselves and pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave, while looters were tearing apart businesses within their sight, within their reach,”Rush said. “They did not care about what was happening to business people, to this city. They didn’t care. They absolutely didn’t care.”
Rep. Bobby Rush says Chicago police broke into his campaign office to take his coffee and popcorn and relax while looters threatened the city: pic.twitter.com/UEzcYHQIEJ
Mayor Lightfoot slammed the bold cops over their selfish antics during a time when “their colleagues were getting bottles thrown at their heads,” she said.
“We should all be disgusted, and we should all feel hurt and betrayed, in this moment of all moments,” Lightfoot added. “The officers in this incident, and others we’ve seen in the past weeks, have demonstrated a total disregard for their colleagues, for the badge and for those they’re sworn to serve and protect.”
An investigation will be launched to determine whether the officers committed a crime, said Lightfoot.
She also noted that “not one of these officers will be allowed to hide behind the badge and act like nothing ever happened.”
Police SuperintendentDavid Brown assured Rush that the 13 officers will be held accountable.
“If you sleep during a riot, what do you do on a regular shift?” Brown said. “What makes you comfortable enough that a supervisor won’t hold you accountable? Supervisors … need to step up or step out. I’m not playing.”
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Brandi Riley is an Oakland-based Parenting Influencer, Community Manager, and Educator. Follow her on Instagram at 
