Juneteenth will be a paid holiday for thousands of Arizona workers
June 19 was another work day for most Arizona employees in years past. But this year will be different for many.
Thousands of Arizona employees will have a full or partial paid holiday Friday in observation of Juneteenth, a day dedicated to the celebration and reflection of African American freedom. The announcements come amid weeks of protests against systemic racism following the death of George Floyd in police custody and a national reckoning with the legacy of the Civil War.
Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, marks the anniversary of the day African Americans enslaved in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom. Texas was the last of the Confederate states to formally acknowledge the Emancipation Proclamation on June 19, 1865, more than two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the order.
The day is not officially recognized as a national holiday, but it’s gaining traction as a workers’ holiday. JPMorgan Chase is among a growing list of companies to announce their plans to observe Juneteenth by closing offices and giving employees a paid holiday.
“Out of deep respect for the suffering that the Black community has endured over hundreds of years and in recognition of the high esteem in which we hold our Black community at JPMorgan Chase, we are closing all Chase branches at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 19 — known as Juneteenth,” JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon announced in an email to employees Wednesday morning.
JPMorgan Chase employs about 9,500 employees in Arizona, according to Chase spokeswoman Maura Cordova. Dimon said early closures gives employees the chance to learn, participate in events and reflect on the nation’s progress and enduring effort “to acknowledge its flaws and become a better nation.”
“Now is the time for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equality,” Dimon said.
Other participating companies include U.S. Bank, Twitter and Lyft.
Companies closing for Juneteenth
• JPMorgan Chase will close all Chase branches at 1 p.m. for a paid company holiday
• U.S. Bank will close all branches at
1 p.m. for a paid company holiday
• Capital One will close all branches at 2 p.m. for a paid company holiday
Other Juneteenth observations
• The Larder + The Delta, a contemporary Southern food restaurant in Phoenix, will host a special celebration featuring a family style fixed menu.
• Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos urged employees to cancel all meetings in observation of Juneteenth and will offer a “range of online learning opportunities” for employees throughout the day.
• General Motors plans to hold moments of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck.
• Best Buy stores will remain open, but are offering employees a “paid volunteer day” to use June 19 or any other day this year. The company also announced Juneteenth will become a paid company holiday starting next year.
• Google urged employees to cancel “unnecessary meetings” to create space for “learning and reflection.”
• J.C. Penny will officially recognize Juneteenth as an annual holiday and offer a paid day off to employees. Stores will remain open and hourly employees will receive holiday pay.
i Mastercard is designating Friday,
June 19 a “Mastercard Day of Solidarity,” giving employees the opportunity to learn, act and reflect.
• Nike Inc. announced Juneteenth will be an annual paid company holiday.
• Uber, Lyft, Postmates and Grubhub will each recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday. Drivers, who are independent contractors, will still work.
• Target will celebrate Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday. Stores will remain open and hourly workers will be paid time and a half.
• Spotify announced Juneteenth will be an annual company holiday. The company’s flagship playlist “New Music Friday” will exclusively feature black artists from June 16 to June 26.
• Twitter and Square will recognize Juneteenth as a paid company holiday.
• NFL will close league offices and recognize the date as a league holiday.
• The New York Times is observing Juneteenth by giving employees a paid holiday to use on Juneteenth or another day “of religious or cultural significance to you” before the end of the year.
• Vox Media will observe Juneteenth as an annual company holiday and is launching a fellowship program focused on HBCUs and members of NABJ.
• Allstate will recognize Juneteenth as an annual company holiday “to provide Allstaters the opportunity to reflect on this monumental event and engage in their communities.”