Juneteenth is an important Holiday, and Nike will now be celebrating it as such. The holiday takes place on June 19, which marks the end of slavery in the United States. It will now be recognized as a paid company holiday for Nike employees in the U.S. starting this year.
Nike’s current current CEO John Donahoe said in a statement, “As many of you may know, next Friday, June 19, is Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S,” Donahoe wrote in the message. “Starting this year and going forward, Nike will recognize Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday in the U.S.”
NIKE says Juneteenth will be a PAID HOLIDAY!!! I will forever support them, always have always WILL!
— OH GODDESS LIYAH✨ (@0hgoddessliyah_) June 12, 2020
He continued, “When we say that Black Lives Matter, it applies to the world outside of Nike and, importantly, it applies to our Black teammates within Nike. Simply put, we need to hold ourselves to a high standard given the heritage of our company and our brand.”
This is a step in the right direction.