Nike and Other Brands Make Juneteenth a Company Holiday

Nike, Twitter, and Square will grant employees a paid holiday on June 19th to commemorate the historic end of slavery in the United States.

In a new memo released this past Thursday, Nike CEO John Donahoe announced that Nike will recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday for all employees. Donahoe, who has been Nike’s CEO for the last six months, honored the holiday as an important opportunity to commemorate Black history and culture. 

Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey also pledged to make Juneteenth a paid company holiday. Dorsey tweeted that Juneteenth would be “A day for celebration, education, and connection.” 

Celebrated annually on June 19th, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday is also a time to celebrate Black excellence and reflect on the experiences of the African American community. Although it is not a national holiday, all but four states have named Juneteenth a state holiday.

In addition to making Juneteenth a company holiday, Nike will launch a diversity education program from June 19th to July 4th. This initiative will offer employees several learning opportunities and address racial inequality.

Donahoe expects the company to grow from the experience. As reported by Forbes, his memo stated “Our expectation is that each of us uses this time to continue to educate ourselves and challenge our perspectives and learn.”

These actions are only small steps on the long road to racial equality in the workplace. As Ice Cube and others have pointed out, Nike doesn’t have a reputation for treating employees of color in the US and around the world with dignity. Still, we hope these initiatives by Nike and Twitter will encourage more companies to recognize the important contributions of the black community.