Teyana Taylor is gearing up for a big release this Friday, Juneteenth. The Album, from which several singles have dropped already, has cameos from Erykah Badu, Missy Elliott, Ms. Lauryn Hill and Rick Ross, among others. The latest single, “Wake Up Love,” features the Brooklyn Nets Shooting Guard Iman Shumpert in the real-life role of Taylor’s husband. Against the video backdrop of a cloudy, bubble-bathy, pillow-filled paradise, they sing to each other about their roles as partners, asking for one another’s reassurance. And there’s a very sweet surprise announcement at the end. Watch it here.
America’s biggest companies are starting to designate Juneteenth as a paid holiday, a move that’s both timely and long overdue. Juneteenth (June 19th), whose 155th anniversary is coming up this Friday, marks the day that word of emancipation reached America’s last enslaved people in Galveston, TX, in 1865. Despite the holiday’s long and momentous legacy, much of the country doesn’t know about it. Those in that category can think of it as America’s second Independence Day: On July 4, 1776, the only people who became free were white men. Black Americans got their freedom 89 years later. It’s important to celebrate liberation always, and this year, corporate America is taking note.*
Nike, Twitter, the NFL, Mastercard, Buzzfeed, and dozens of other companies are giving their employees a paid day off, and several companies are also planning special programming. Sequoia Capital is matching donations to social justice and civil rights orgs, SeatGeek is doing a day of service, and Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist will exclusively feature black artists this week. (These companies will need to be held accountable for day-to-day equity practices going forward; we’ll take the holiday in the meantime.) If your company hasn’t recognized the holiday yet, ask them to do so today using this template from the incredibly comprehensive hellajuneteenth.com.
*Given all the companies just now learning about the holiday, we’ll give an extra point to Ben & Jerry’s for celebrating it last year.
If you’re in a group whose privilege has worked to the active detriment of the Black community, consider making your Juneteenth a day of service and learning. First: Juneteenth is not recognized as a national holiday, and is only officially celebrated in 47 states (although it’s acknowledged in New York, it is not a state holiday here). Take some time to contact your officials demanding that they recognize Juneteenth.
Some other activity suggestions: Protest (here are some listings for BK and DC). Take an online tour of National Museum of African American Culture’s Slavery and Freedom exhibition, led by the Founding Director Lonnie Bunch III. Attend BRIC’s virtual Town Hall on the state of freedom in Black communities as they grapple with COVID-19, benign neglect, and state-sanctioned violence. (Many more events here.) Stop by the online For The Culture Bake Sale, which supports the magazine celebrating Black women in food and wine. Support any other Black-owned business you can (in particular, Black dispensaries); download the Official Black Wall Street app for listings. Volunteer with your local Mutual Aid group, homeless shelter, or food pantry. Donate to mutual aid and bail funds and civil rights orgs (surely you have your list by now). If you post frequently on socials, commemorate Juneteenth there in a non-self-centering way. (Here is a handy one to post in advance.)
Again, see hellajuneteenth.com for more. They’ll walk you through what the holiday is, how to take the day off, ways to take action, and other resources. Just circulating that page is a Productive Thing To Do.
