Juneteenth, which has been called, “America’s second Independence Day,” commemorates the freedom of enslaved African Americans in Texas in 1865. Given the significance this day holds for so many people across the United States and beyond, I was encouraged by Congress’ commitment last year to establish a federal holiday to honor Juneteenth.
Similarly, I am encouraged by the increased awareness around Windrush Day, which recognizes the first cohort of migrants from the Caribbean to London in 1948. These immigrants helped fill a labor shortage after World War II and were faced with extreme intolerance while doing so.
Honoring these profound anniversaries allows us to reflect on the sacrifices of those before us, recognize the progress that has been made – while more work remains – and reminds us of the need for collective action in pushing hard for social and racial justice as we continue to witness intolerance and acts of violence against Black and other marginalized communities.
As the new global head of diversity at Adobe, overseeing diversity talent acquisition, and D&I programming, I am energized by our company’s commitment to gender and racial equity and diverse representation. I have the honor of joining the Taking Action Initiative (TAI) as a steering committee member and will help drive progress aligned to TAI’s mission to accelerate the representation and success of Adobe’s Black employees, while creating change in the broader landscape of social injustice.
Global day of learning in honor of Juneteenth and Windrush Day
This year, TAI will host a Global Day of Learning to honor Juneteenth (June 19) and Windrush Day (June 22). On June 20, Adobe employees globally will come together to learn about Black history, the experience of Black employees, and how allies can support their colleagues.
We are honored to have Bryan Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), as a guest speaker to share how we can all create spaces to address the legacy of slavery and racial injustice. EJI is one of the eleven organizations Adobe is partnering with as part of our Equity and Advancement Initiative committed to advancing social justice.
Following that conversation, we will host a discussion with Dr. Jessica B. Harris, the award-winning culinary historian and author of cookbooks documenting foods of the African diaspora. Dr. Harris will explore the freedom that comes from making healthy choices and building wealth to create a higher quality of life for generations to come.
In July, we will host a fireside chat in EMEA with Afropean (African + European) entrepreneur Nana Addison, in recognition of Windrush Day. Nana Addison will discuss what it means to be a “cultural architect” including tips for inclusive language and ways to speak with individuals of different backgrounds.
To help expand perspectives employee storyteller Chris Lambert shares his personal connection to the experience of the Windrush generation in the U.K. and Vic Ontchya Areno shares his journey to integrate his unique identities as part of the global Black community.
We are grateful for TAI’s dedication to designing a Global Day of Learning to help expand our understanding about the experience of Black people in our society and provide actions to drive systemic change.