JUNETEENTH 2022

Juneteenth, by Shannon Richards

Edited by Lindsay Ryan Crawford 6/23/2022

For the very first time, Maine celebrated Juneteenth as an official holiday on Monday. We did nothing for it. And, that has to change.

But, first, let’s back up. Since the Black Lives Matters national call-to-action wake-up-call around the terrible death of George Floyd, I’ve spent time organizing internal Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies, and working with the non-profits I help lead to do the same.

We’ve been working with experts and logging many self-education hours. It’s humbling to realize how unaware I have been. I’ve found there’s been a lot of “I just didn’t know what I didn’t know.”

Last year, Governor Janet Mills signed a bill into law declaring the annual commemoration as a paid state holiday. This month, Mills signed a proclamation declaring June 19 as Juneteenth.

It snuck on me. And apparently, according to a recent Mainebiz poll, 71% of my local colleagues are in the same boat:

We did not close the company this year, and we do not close on all federal and state holidays. I want to create an internal event at Hay Runner to offer insight and spark conversation. There’s a delicate line between creating a supportive environment and putting People of Color on the spot in a moment of potentially unwanted attention, and we’d like to work toward that right balance.

There’s more to be understood about this holiday. We need to better understand how we all relate to it professionally and personally, and most importantly, we all need to find meaningful ways to improve our own actions. A good discussion topic with the kids during the next morning commute.