Twitter boss Jack Dorsey announced on Tuesday that June 19, the American holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery, would now be a public holiday in the United States for his two companies, Twitter and Square, "forever" . It will be "a day of celebration, education and connection," he said in a tweet.
His announcement comes as the United States is shaken by a wave of protests against racism and police violence, after the death of George Floyd, a black American asphyxiated by a white police officer two weeks ago.
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On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation to African American slaves in Texas, the last Confederate state to have freed slaves after the end of the Civil War. The "Juneteenth" (contraction of June and 19 in English) is already a holiday in Texas and is commemorated almost everywhere in the country. "The countries and regions of the world have their own dates to celebrate emancipation and we will work to make them corporate holidays wherever we are present," added Jack Dorsey.
Many companies have indicated their support for the demonstrators, some going so far as to make donations to associations or postpone solidarity marketing events. Beauty Bakery, a make-up brand founded by African-American Cashmere Nicole, announced on Instagram that it would "no longer recognize" July 4, American National Day, which celebrates the Declaration of Independence from of Great Britain. She will celebrate the Juneteenth instead. "It is important that we do everything in our power to dismantle the systems in place that ignore the value of life," said the brand. "We will recognize the day when we ALL became free."