At long last, an important date in our country’s fight for racial equality is a federal holiday. Juneteenth is the day enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had been ratified two years earlier. Juneteenth has been celebrated on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865.
At burkeMICHAEL+, our commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion has been front and center since June of 2020, when centuries of civil inequality came into stark focus for white Americans after the murder of George Floyd. As a white owned business in a predominantly white industry, we made a commitment to ourselves, our business and our community to model change, and developed a DEI Training Program, now two years old. (Read our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement here.)
For Juneteenth 2022, we wanted to do something significant. This year, the team at burkeMICHAEL+ is visiting the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. This place serves as a national showplace for Black collective history, art, music, literature, theater, and most importantly, reflect the supremacy of Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning Pittsburgh native and playwright, August Wilson. Then, we’ll return to the showroom for a response discussion about the exhibits and experience.
This Juneteenth, I encourage business leaders and their teams to discover the Black experience in your city. Learn about historical and contemporary Black figures in your area. Take your team to a Black art exhibit, music venue, or play. Spend money at Black owned restaurant and stores. Make donations to Black causes in your company’s name.
Our work at burkeMICHAEL+ to show up in solidarity and celebration of underrepresented Americans one of the most educational and humbling experience we’ve been part of. Connecting through community is key, and we’re better for it, by far.
Happy Juneteenth, everyone.
Mary Frances Hogan President + Ringmaster burkeMICHAEL+