On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. This news came two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. Juneteenth is a time to reflect on our country’s history of racial inequality and acknowledge the work still to be done.
Community Support
In February, we sponsored “Stories Untold: Black Modernists in Southern California” during Modernism Week in Palm Springs. For more than a century, Black designers, builders and developers helped shape Palm Springs and Southern California. The three-part symposium paid tribute to this important design legacy and looked toward the future.
Destination Crenshaw in Los Angeles, a mile-long open-air museum in the Hyde Park neighborhood, was featured in Modernism Week’s “Stories Untold: Black Modernists in Southern California”.
Focus on Our Workforce
At Room & Board, we’re actively taking steps to include more Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals in our workforce. We are also finding ways to support more BIPOC-owned or operated businesses and publicly supporting BIPOC equity and justice.
We are hosting two scholars through the Page Education Foundation Accelerate program. The students will participate in workshops during the academic year. In the summer, they will intern at Room & Board full-time.
Last year, our Boston store honored Juneteenth in a variety of ways, including educating staff members about the holiday and its symbols.
Educate and Discuss
This year, all staff members at our Minneapolis headquarters are invited to attend Kumbayah: The Juneteenth Story. The play is hosted by local nonprofit Sweet Potato Comfort Pie (SPCP) as part of its annual Juneteenth Jubilee. Following the performance, the Room & Board Multi-Cultural Advisory Council (MCAC) will host a lunch and conversation about the play, Juneteenth and racial equity.
Our teams across the country are also encouraged to use the day as a way to educate themselves, support the Black community and make a difference.
Images by Room & Board
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