Pharrell Williams Teams Up With Ellen and Others to Make Juneteenth a Paid Holiday
Pharrell Williams, Ellen Degeneres, and other celebrities hope to convince private corporations and businesses to make Juneteenth a paid holiday.
On June 26, Williams, Degeneres, CNN political commentator Van Jones, and writer/producer Kenya Barris called dozens of CEOs from major corporations to speak with them about the importance of Juneteenth. This call convinced several companies, including Adidas, Airbnb, and Under Armour to join the initiative and sign the Juneteenth Pledge.
International advocacy organization Global Citizen and the CEO advisory firm Teneo also joined these celebrities to raise awareness of the Juneteenth Pledge. Teneo tweeted about the launch of the pledge, calling it “a global effort to rally the public sector to ensure that Juneteenth becomes a paid holiday in the United States.”
@Pharrell, @TheEllenShow, @funnyblackdude, @VanJones68, @GlblCtzn, and Teneo, today announced the launch of THE #JUNETEENTH #PLEDGE, a global effort to rally the private sector to ensure that Juneteenth becomes a paid holiday in the United States. https://t.co/UQV9mw9MyD pic.twitter.com/2fOyrGlbbp
— Teneo (@Teneo) June 29, 2020
The pledge also encourages CEOs to recruit other businesses and facilitate respect for all cultures. Williams tweeted, “I’m calling on all companies to COMMIT & SIGN the #JuneteenthPledge today.”
This year, hundreds of CEOs and companies stepped forward to publicly observe, honor and celebrate Juneteenth. This was a step in the right direction. But now we need more to join. I’m calling on all companies to COMMIT & SIGN the #JUNETEENTHPLEDGE today. https://t.co/bHll9tTCZa pic.twitter.com/XKIr9nLOIt
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) June 29, 2020
To acknowledge the global impact of slavery, the pledge asks companies with international offices to set aside a relevant day to recognize the emancipation of enslaved people.
In the wake of nationwide protests for racial justice, Juneteenth is finally gaining acknowledgment from large corporations. To support the initiative and honor Juneteeth, companies can sign the Juneteenth Pledge at the organization’s website.
