NEW YORK, (June 15, 2020) – Shelley Tanner, SanovaWorks CEO/President
In the wake of the recent murder of George Floyd, and the swell of the social justice movement Black Lives Matter, we are witnessing a watershed moment in time. Things are changing. People are, finally, paying attention. Statues are coming down and confederate flags are banned in the very environment they once flew proudly. Symbols of racism, oppression and hundreds of years of suffering; they are no longer welcome in the “land of the free.”
Many people agree that these actions are welcome — and long overdue. Other steps are being taken to properly acknowledge the history of Black Americans in this country. It’s the right direction, but still a long way to go. Reform and change are necessary, when progress is to be achieved.
BLACK LIVES MATTER, A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
Juneteenth
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, is an American holiday celebrated annually on June 19, which is commemorated as African Americans’ Independence Day. This pivotal year marks the 155th anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States in 1865.
“June 19th is the anniversary of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation to enslaved African Americans in Texas, the last Confederate State to have the proclamation announced. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union general Gordon Granger read federal orders in Galveston, Texas, that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free. Although the Emancipation Proclamation had formally freed them almost two and a half years earlier, and the American Civil War had largely ended with the defeat of the Confederate States in April, Texas was the most remote of the slave states, with a low presence of Union troops, so enforcement of the proclamation had been slow and inconsistent.” Wikipedia
Currently, forty-seven of fifty US states recognize 6/19 as Juneteenth, either in the form of a state holiday, ceremonial holiday, or a day of observance. As we have seen these past weeks, change is happening, so we can expect the other states to fall in line with this recognition that is long overdue.
This year and every year going forward, SanovaWorks and its affiliates will acknowledge Juneteenth as a company wide holiday. SanovaWorks isn’t the first company or organization to commemorate Juneteenth, but we hope to inspire other businesses in Dermatology and other professional communities to follow suit.
Juneteenth Celebrations
Johnson House is holding a Virtual Juneteenth Celebration
Johnson House is of historical significance because it was a stop on the Underground Railroad that functioned to transport runaway slaves from the South to the North where they could be free. Harriett Tubman, an Abolitionist, is reported to have visited the Johnson House.
Food for the Body, Food for the Soul
Black Heritage Trail New Hampshire
Live Streamed Cooking Demonstration, African Drumming Live Streamed from the Portsmouth African Burying Ground, A Virtual Concert, & A Virtual Community Dialogue Featuring Special Guest Adrian Miller
I encourage you to do a search to find a Juneteenth Day celebration that inspires you to take part.
As I personally take a very long pause and acknowledge my own privilege and lack of awareness, in this age of radical and needed change, I encourage my Team, and anyone reading this, and anyone I encounter, to celebrate and acknowledge Juneteenth, a profound day, inspiring hope, and reflection.
Shelley Tanner
President/CEO