Today we are proud to celebrate Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States of America.
We are immensely proud of the diverse team and community we have built at Upstream thus far. That said, we know that our work is only getting started.
Designating Juneteenth as a company holiday represents a small but important step to honor the struggles and triumphs of the Black community in America that has continuously fought systems of oppression. It also provides a time for our employees to reflect and learn.
In celebration of this incredibly important day, we’d love to share a few insights from our team about what Juneteenth means to us and why championing diversity is a business imperative.
- Alex: “I’m proud to celebrate Juneteenth as a company. We’re committed to supporting our Black employees, admins, speakers, and community members on this day and every day.”
- Ilana: “Juneteenth is a day of commemoration and celebration, but to me, it’s also a commitment of activism. It’s a promise to not stand idly by nor be a spectator in driving equality and change.”
- Ja’dan: “I’m excited to use today to celebrate the beauty of Black joy! We are often reminded about the many horrific things that have happened to my community but I continue to bask in the glory of our ancestors who have fought hard for us to enjoy many of the things we do today. We have miles to go to achieve true Black liberation but despite this uphill battle — the systems of oppression will never take our joy away.”
- Kazi: “The beautiful part of being American is that we live in a country where people come from all backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations. Celebrating diversity means celebrating inclusivity, spreading kindness, and stopping ignorance.”
- Paul: “I celebrate Juneteenth because it allowed me to have a diverse life with friends from all backgrounds and heritage.”
- Sarah A: “As a first-generation American of Caribbean and Turkish descent, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to reside in a country where I can make a name for myself and have opportunities that my parents couldn’t have. Juneteenth is a public acknowledgment of the pain and torture the Slaves of America faced. It’s a step in educating performative Activists to truly recognize what African Americans went through, and the oppression we’re still facing to this day.”
- Sarah W: “Juneteenth serves as a day of celebration and also a reminder for how much work we still have yet to do to help achieve a more equitable society for the Black community.”
- Tracy: “Juneteenth is a day not only meant to celebrate the end of slavery but a day we memorialize the people who demanded liberty and justice to offer us a chance at equality. On this day we memorialize the people who offered us hope for a future never once imagined by our ancestors. It is a day we affirm our stance to never relent on the fight for our freedom and equality against all oppressive forces.”
