Nike Will Recognize Juneteenth As A Paid Holiday For Its Employees

Beginning this year, apparel brand Nike will be recognizing Juneteenth as a paid holiday for its employees.

Juneteenth, which is also known as the Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, memorializes when Union General Gordon Granger read orders in Galveston, Texas, freeing all enslaved people, on June 19, 1865.

Now, Yahoo Finance has obtained a letter sent out by Nike CEO John Donahoe to his staff, informing them that Juneteenth will be recognized as a paid holiday.

“As many of you may know, next Friday, June 19, is Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. Starting this year and going forward, Nike will recognize Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday in the U.S,” he informed his staff. By doing so, Donahoe says that recognizing the holiday is an  “important opportunity is to better commemorate and celebrate Black history and culture.”

The “Just Do It” / “Swoosh” brand is also launching a diversity education program.

“Education can play an important role in the fight against systemic racism and bigotry. So from June 19 to July 4, we will offer programming and learning opportunities available to all employees on topics specific to racial inequality. Our expectation is that each of us use this time to continue to educate ourselves and challenge our perspectives and learn. I know that is what I intend to do,” Donahoe added.

In his letter, Donahoe also acknowledged the #BlackLivesMatter movement, writing that it’s important to recognize the corporation’s black employees.

“When we say that Black Lives Matter, it applies to the world outside of Nike and, importantly, it applies to our Black teammates within Nike,” Donahoe added. “Simply put, we need to hold ourselves to a high standard, given the heritage of our company and our brand. … I strongly believe that focusing on a more diverse and inclusive culture for our Black teammates does not take away from our commitment to build a more diverse and inclusive culture for all groups inside Nike. It is not zero-sum. In fact, most of the actions that we must take are consistent with what is required for everyone.”

The sports brand CEO also has a goal to work on “representation” in its company when it comes to making sure black, Latinx and women are all equally and adequately represented at Nike while also increasing “its investment of employee professional development,” the news source reports.

“Our aspiration is for Nike to be a leader where diversity, inclusion, and belonging become a strength for our team and in our culture. This will not be easy, and it will not happen overnight. We need to be resolute, not reactive. It will require a long-term commitment and will demand sustained focus. We will have both,” Donahoe stated.

Other big companies that are choosing to declare Juneteenth a company holiday as well include Twitter and Square, the outlet states.