Juneteenth—shorthand for June 19th—celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Originating in 1865, Juneteenth commemorates the arrival of federal troops in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom. It is an official federal holiday and a time of joy, celebration, and reflection across the country. 

To learn more about the origins of Juneteenth, the importance of celebrating the holiday, and how it can help us better understand today’s movement for equity, we recommend: 

• Reading the Journal of Black Studies’ “Ralph Ellison and the Paradox of Juneteenth” (free to read) 

• Reading the Business INK blog “Juneteenth Is But One of the United States’ 20 Emancipation Days” (free to read) 

• Reading research articles on structural racism  

• Exploring our free collection of research and supplemental material on Legacies of Colonialism  

• Exploring our Black History Month collection of open-access resources  

• Reading “Contemporary Studies of Juneteenth” (free to read) on Methodspace 

• Reading PBS’s “Learn About and Celebrate Juneteenth” 

• Watching World Channel’s 19 “Films to Watch to Celebrate Juneteenth” 

• Reading the National Museum of African American History & Culture’s “Why is Juneteenth Important?” and “The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth” 

• Reading Bustle’s “12 Ways Non-Black People Can Be Stronger Allies on Juneteenth” 

Celebrating Juneteenth is important in educating and advancing equity in the United States. Sage is committed to enabling people from all backgrounds to contribute to and benefit from teaching and research resources that are balanced, grounded, antiracist, and promote a more just society, including, but not limited to: 

• Working with organizations such as Leading Routes, the Joint Council of Librarians of Color, The PhD Project, the Academic Pipeline Project, and Universal Write Publications to increase diversity in academia. Activities with these partnerships include:  

• Through a partnership with Leading Routes, an organization that helps to prepare the next generation of Black academics, Sage promotes an equitable experience for Black students in university settings.  

• Sage convened a series of listening sessions through the National Associations of Librarians of Color asking librarians how publishers can better support academic librarians. This resulted in new resources for the library community. 

• As a sponsor of The PhD Project and a supporter of their goal to diversify the workplace by diversifying leadership in the classroom, Sage has cosponsored case study workshops at Providence College with faculty members on writing and teaching business case studies to include protagonists and themes underrepresented in teaching material.   

• Sage has supported the Academic Pipeline Project community with professional development webinars and networking opportunities. 

• Sage sponsored the Institute of Race Relations in its launch of the Register of Racism and Resistance, a searchable database of developments in racism and community action.   

• Strengthening the inclusivity of our research program  

• Entering a three-year partnership with Universal Write Publications to publish African- and Black-centered titles 

• Establishing a DEI Council, Working Groups, and Employee Resource Groups to lead and provide guidance on key initiatives 

If you have thoughts on what more we can do, please email us at PR@sagepub.co.uk.