Juneteenth is now an annual paid holiday for all AWP employees. Juneteenth, June 19, 1865, marks the end of slavery, when Texas received news of abolition, two years after Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. This day honors the history of black communities in the US. Recognizing its national significance is an important first step in the comprehensive and necessary work of dismantling the racist structures built into our civic and cultural institutions. 

 

We look forward to this day of reflection and celebration of the strength and resilience of black communities.

 

—AWP staff and board