Andrew,
How to turn up during Juneteenth correctly? We got you! The next 72 hours are dedicated to explaining the "rules and regulations" of Juneteenth.
This year we're focused on 2 things –
joy & reparations! Trust us, we have the perfect way to make sure the whole world will hear and see us!
Nationwide, Black families and communities come together to celebrate and remember Juneteenth —
just as we have, every year, since 1865, Juneteenth celebrates June 19th, 1865, the day when the Union Army issued an order proclaiming the emancipation of the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. The name Juneteenth comes from a blending of the date.
Then on June 19th, 2021 the United States, as a nation, celebrated and acknowledged the emancipation of enslaved peoples alongside us for the first time in its history by making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Juneteenth has and will always represent our freedom, our liberation, our past, and our future. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us as we inherit the obligation to continue the work to build a free future for all Black people. But we continue grappling with the tension between celebrating freedom and justice and the struggle to permanently secure both.
Even as we rejoice in our successes, we recognize that the sanctioning of our holiday rings hollow if the relentless machine of late-stage capitalism further exploits our culture. Y'all, these corporations are making money off our celebration of FREEDOM! 😐😐😐
Let's just set the record straight right now. All corporations who have supported and rallied behind the Black Lives Matter Movement, it's time to act on it. Act on your claims to value Black life and push for reparations instead of trying to exploit us. Andrew, our demands are simple. Without reparations, the structural discrimination that purposely holds Black people back will continue to thrive -- it's something we simply refuse to accept. So, sign on and demand all "supportive" corporations to act NOW >> We know corporations and politicians will attempt to co-opt our message and thwart our demands for reparations and full freedom. Black people in the U.S. have been forced to experience the highest rates of poverty, unemployment, low wages, health disparities, incarceration inequities, and so much more.
While we are not opposed to Juneteenth recognition, we ARE opposed to corporate America using Black pain, Black joy, Black victories, and Black history as an opportunity to expand their pockets without investing back into OUR communities. Stop exploiting our holiday.
Businesses and corporations should loudly announce their public support for reparations immediately if they truly believe that Black Lives Matter. Reparations are essential to the overall betterment of Black people which is why we need as much help as we can get to protect our freedom and prevent a vicious cycle of capitalism. If you agree, sign our petition in the fight for long-overdue reparations. In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation
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