Relationary to Close on June 19 in Honor of Juneteenth

Black Lives Matter. In support of this important work, we’re taking time to celebrate African-American heritage, to reflect on racial discrimination and white supremacy, and to learn more about being actively anti-racist.

Relationary Marketing stands in solidarity with protestors around the world who are standing up against systemic racism and police brutality toward Black people.

Black Lives Matter protesters rally in front of the Tennessee capitol. Photo: John Mofield in support of BLM

In that spirit, we’ll be closed on June 19 in honor of Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day. We encourage our team members to use this time off to educate themselves on racial discrimination and how to be actively anti-racist.

We hope you’ll join us in learning more about the holiday and about what each of us can do to combat racism.

What is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth, set on June 19 each year, celebrates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.

In Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, a union general read federal orders that freed all enslaved people in Texas. While the Emancipation Proclamation had technically freed them more than two years earlier, they hadn’t been functionally free until this moment.

Juneteenth celebrations began in the state a year later and have since grown nationwide. Juneteenth is a time for celebration of Black achievement, joy and pride as well as education on Black heritage.

You can dig deeper into the history and celebration of the holiday at The History of Juneteenth or watch Juneteenth Is Finally Entering the Mainstream American Consciousness from The Root.

Actions you can take to recognize and fight racism

Juneteenth is a great opportunity to set aside time and energy to expand your knowledge of what it means to be anti-racist. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of anti-racist resources you can use to educate yourself on and take action against racial discrimination.

Articles to read

Information

“American History: From Civil War to Civil Rights”
From Annette with Love (June 9, 2020)
”White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”
Peggy McIntosh (PDF)
“The 1619 Project” (all the articles)
The New York Times Magazine
“Anti-racism Defined”
Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre

Perspectives

“Who Gets to Be Afraid in America?”
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi – The Atlantic (May 12, 2020)
“America’s Racial Contract Is Killing Us” (Retitled: “The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying”)
Adam Serwer – The Atlantic (May 8, 2020)
“Reflections From a Token Black Friend”
Ramesh A Nagarajah – Human Parts (June 4, 2020)
“When black people are in pain, white people just join book clubs”
Tre Johnson – The Washington Post (June 11, 2020)

Actions

“Ways to focus on current & systemic change”
Tatiana Mac – Twitter (June 5, 2020)
“Where do I donate? Why is the uprising violent? Should I go protest?” (Retitled “Answering White People’s Most Commonly Asked Questions about the Black Lives Matter Movement”)
Courtney Martin – The Bold Italic (June 1, 2020)
“From Donating to Volunteering: Here’s How to Support Black Lives Matter, Protesters and Equality Initiatives”
Sanya Mansoor – Time (June 9, 2020)
Official Black Wall Street: The Largest Platform for Black Businesses

Podcasts to listen to

“1619”
Nikole Hannah-Jones – The New York Times
“About Race”
Anna Holmes, Baratunde Thurston, Raquel Cepeda, and Tanner Colby – Panoply
“Code Switch”
Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby – NPR
“Scene on Radio” – Season 2: Seeing White
John Biewen

Organizations to follow/join/support

Additional resources to explore

For more podcasts, articles, books and other anti-racism resources, check out these lists:

Anti-racism Resources – Flicker & Klein
Resources – SURJ Nashville
A Sample of MOOCs – Whites For Racial Equity