Nike Will Recognize Juneteenth As An Official Paid Holiday

Nike CEO John Donahue sent an internal memo to his staff announcing that the company would recognize Juneteenth as a holiday for U.S. employees, according to Yahoo Finance. The footwear and apparel giant followed the announcements of tech companies Square and Twitter, who also made the declaration earlier this week.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, is an American holiday celebrated on June 19. It memorializes June 19, 1865, when Union general Gordon Granger read orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free.

The footwear brands remarks come as the company joins the ranks of other brands who have been asked to take corporate accountability in the fight against racism and white supremacy.