Honoring Juneteenth: How We Celebrated

Silhouette of an African American with long hair with a red, yellow, and green flag as the background.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, marks the day when all enslaved people were freed. Our leadership has recognized the significance of Juneteenth since 2020 by closing our offices on June 19th so that team members can take this opportunity to rest, reflect, share, learn, and act. We have taken steps to educate ourselves about Juneteenth and enhance our understanding to provide better support and engage in meaningful dialogue.

Black Voices & Allies Connect Group

We have also leaned on our Black Voices & Allies Connect Group to share important facts and resources with our team members across the globe, creating opportunities for conversations and continuing our lifelong learning journey. Throughout the month, they shared the following:

• Historical "Did you know..." facts

• Juneteenth celebrations across the US

• History of the Juneteenth Flag
  

A new conversation starter was shared each day leading up to June 19th, connecting our teams and creating more inclusive communities.

Juneteenth Soul Food Celebration

Team members in our Dallas Hub celebrated Freedom Day with the traditional foods of Juneteenth, enjoying collard greens, mac and cheese, cornbread, red velvet cupcakes, red drinks, and other delicious foods to honor the holiday's history and recognize its communal significance.

They also created a presentation shared throughout the office to educate one another and create opportunities for conversation and celebration!

InSpire - Juneteenth Campaign

We partnered with our Communications & Culture and Learning & Development teams to create an informative campaign on our internal engagement platform, Inspire, powered by WeSpire. This campaign honored the history of emancipation and encouraged us to use our voices to uplift others and combat racism. Some of the topics and actions within this campaign included:

• Juneteenth's Global Significance

• Juneteenth 2024: Links to Events in the communities we serve

• Commit to using updated language when discussing slavery

• Show up for racial justice in your community

• Identify your own privilege

• Celebrate Juneteenth with your coworkers

The goal was to engage our team members, ignite conversation, and educate ourselves to create more inclusive communities for all. We value those who lead with compassion and inclusivity and are committed to challenging our way of doing things, intentionally and often.

Juneteenth Blogs

Click below to read about our Juneteenth - Virtual Empower Hour in 2023:

https://www.bgsf.com/post/empower-hour-celebrating-juneteenth

Check out our blog, Embracing Juneteenth: Reflect, Learn, and Act – Our Commitment Continues, by clicking below:

https://www.bgsf.com/post/embracing-juneteenth-reflect-learn-and-act-our-commitment-continues

Our offices will be closed on Wednesday, June 19th, and reopen at 8 AM your local time on Thursday, June 20th. As we celebrate Juneteenth, let us reaffirm our commitment to a society free from racial injustices and inequalities. Together, we can create a better future where equality and justice prevail.