Juneteenth is the historical commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, marking the date (June 19, 1865) when the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the last group of enslaved people in the country, two years after the order had been signed.

Starting this year, EAI has declared Juneteenth a holiday for U.S. staff as a day to celebrate the freedom of formerly enslaved people and to reflect on how we can continue to fight for racial justice and equality. We encourage our staff to use this day to reflect, engage in those difficult conversations we must have to affect change, and take action within our communities.

EAI is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within and beyond our organization, and we continue to support the demonstrations, civic engagement, and demands for systemic change around the country to dismantle the systems leading to the disenfranchisement and theft of countless Black lives.