Juneteenth Letter from UAW and Ford
A culture of belonging and caring for each other starts with each one of us. In honor of Juneteenth, on Friday, June 18, we are inviting you to acknowledge and celebrate an important moment in U.S. history.
Juneteenth is a date of major significance in American history and recognized as a moment of celebration in the African American community. The Emancipation Proclamation, which changed African American’s status from enslaved to free, was issued on Jan. 1, 1863. However, many people remained enslaved until June 19, 1865. Juneteenth has since become a celebration of freedom.
- Information about Juneteenth will be posted on @FordOnline and UAW social media sites to help increase your understanding and appreciation of the historical events leading up to this celebration of freedom. We hope that this and an appreciation of the experience of the African American community in our country will lead to deeper empathy, understanding and conversation among our team members.
- We encourage you to wear red, white or blue on June 18th in recognition of the colors of the Juneteenth flag and in a visible declaration of support and solidarity. We encourage you to watch The Vox Video: Why All Americans Should Honor Juneteenth and discuss your insights.
What insights did you gain? What feelings, thoughts, reflections are you holding in this moment? For yourself? For your family? For your teammates? For your community? What can you / we do to create a culture where everyone feels like they belong and feels free to be themselves?
If you do engage in conversations, we understand it may feel uncomfortable at first, and that’s OK. We are continually trying to open the door to these kinds of conversations to help us become a more inclusive company to create a true culture of belonging.
Additional resources are posted on @FordOnline and UAW social media sites. Thank you for your participation. We are family. We celebrate our differences. We all belong.