Juneteenth: a guide to Allyship at work
Celebrating and Amplifying the work of Dr. Evelyn Carter & Kiva Willson
The following post draws from insights from the work of Dr. Evelyn Carter and Kiva Wilson. Read their full article here.
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Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, commemorates the effective end of slavery in America. This holiday is a day for celebrating Black culture, amplifying Black voices, and reflecting on how present-day systems of racism continue to oppress and harm Black Americans, and Black people around the world. The most important first step to practicing active allyship for non-Black people is to educate yourself on the significance of this holiday, as well as the present-day impacts of anti-Black racism in your country.
Provide resources and PTO for volunteering
On the day of Juneteenth (or the observed weekday holiday), give your team paid time off to do work or volunteer in a way that supports community and societal equity, justice, and the empowerment of the Black community. This can be a powerful way to honor Juneteenth through the practice of active allyship. As Carter and Wilson explain, "positioning is key here." Make sure Junteenth's meaning doesn't get lost as simply a "day off" is crucial to recognize this important holiday with integrity.
Do not burden Black employees by asking them to organize a Juneteenth event
Black history is a shared, global history. Defaulting to relying on Black employees or Employee Resource Group (ERG) to organize an event for Juneteenth, especially without forethought or intention, can have the opposite intended impact, deepening feelings of exhaustion or exclusion faced by Black employees on a daily basis. Instead organize or amplify existing events that center justice-driven community volunteering, provide opportunities to deepen our collective understanding of Juneteenth, or focus on practical anti-racist organizational policy.
Focus on Anti-Racism at the policy level throughout your organization
As an organization, one of the most meaningful and powerful ways we can recognize Juneteenth is to genuinely and candidly explore opportunities for improvement when it comes to creating a more inclusive and justice-based organization. Senior leaders speaking about the importance of Juneteenth should understand the accountability they hold to make meaningful changes to organizational culture to ensure policies, practices, and traditions do not intentionally or unintentionally marginalize or oppress Black employees. Every organization has work to do when it comes to building Anti-Racist cultures, and auditing your systems (including recruiting, performance management, and even team-building practices) and creating an actionable strategic roadmap should be at the top of your strategic priorities.
Consider how your actions - or lack thereof - may be perpetuating racism and Black oppression
Finally, take time to reflect on how your actions, life experiences, privilege, and/or beliefs (past and present) may be, knowingly or not, perpetuating racism and Black oppression. Anti-Racism and Justice must be supported by our societal structures, but societies are built on the actions of individuals. As Ijoema Oluo, American editor and best-selling author of 'So You Want to Talk About Race' writes, "Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself." Racism takes many forms, both small and large, and all destroy our communities. Consider how you can be an advocate through actions on the community level, but also in conversations with friends and family. How can you educate? How can you call out racism, even when it is unconscious? How can you go from identifying as "Not Racist" to "Anti-Racist" through active allyship.
