Ellen Degeneres, Pharrell and Kenya Barris Team Up To Make Juneteenth A National Paid Holiday

Written by: @kristenshylin_

Ellen Degeneres, Pharrell, Kenya Barris, and Van Jones collaborated with the action-taking platform Global Citizen and advisory firm, Teneo, for a new Juneteenth Pledge.

According to Rolling Stone, The national campaign calls on private sectors to acknowledge June 19th as a paid holiday.

A press release from Global Citizen revealed that the Juneteenth Pledge kicked off with a conference call between CEOs from Adidas, Airbnb, Starbucks, Under Armour, and more. The companies discussed the possibility of making Juneteenth a paid holiday.

Williams recounted the conference as “incredible to have powerful minds come together and really listen and be open to celebrating Juneteenth as a paid holiday,” adding that the conference call is a “meaningful step in the right decision.”

The celebration of June 19th highlights the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. This historical event symbolizes freedom, liberation, and opportunity for minorities.

Although Juneteenth is among the oldest historical events, it did not receive worldwide attention until recently. The reoccurring tragic events of police brutality, where innocent and unarmed black men and women were killed, spiked racial justice protests across the nation.

With the efforts of Black Lives Matter activists and influential public figures, Juneteenth is receiving more recognition from various cultures and countries around the globe.

DeGeneres encouraged everyone to join the Juneteenth Pledge.

“This is a time to be on the right side of history,” she said. “My wish is for everyone to join together in this fight.”