This year marks the first that Juneteenth is an official national holiday. It comes every year on June 19 to mark the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas were told they were free. The news came about two months after the Confederacy surrendered.

While Juneteenth is only one day, Savills North America believes the spirit of the holiday to celebrate and support Black Americans must be observed year-round. With that in mind, we are asking you to practice three simple steps:

1. Educate: learn about the history of slavery in America
2. Support: shop at Black-owned businesses
3. Give Back: give to non-for-profits that benefit Black causes


EDUCATE

• The New York Times 1619 Project was originally published in 2019 and stands as one of the most comprehensive compilations that delves into the origins and impacts of slavery in the United States.
• “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” is a Netflix series that follows food writer Stephen Satterfield from Africa to Texas as he traces the origins of African-American food and people.
• 13th is a Netflix documentary that draws connections between slavery and modern-day inequities within the criminal justice system.
• The Library of Congress contains a collection entitled, “Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project” that contains more than 2,300 first-person accounts of slavery and 500 photos.
• Teaching Hard History: American Slavery is a project from the Southern Poverty Law Center that shares the framework for educating children K-5 and in grades 6-12 about slavery in America.

SUPPORT

• EatOkra is an app that will find you Black-owned restaurants in your own neighborhood.
• On Instagram, the hashtag #blackownedbusiness has 11.7 million posts and can be used to find Black owners to support.
• Since 2018, blackownedbrooklyn.com has been spotlighting Black-owned businesses and the people behind them.
• Stories such as this one from New York magazine, list Black-owned businesses spanning beauty, home décor, fitness and more

GIVE BACK

• Black Girls Code seeks to elevate Black women in the digital space by empowering girls ages 7-17 to become innovators in STEM fields.
• The Center for Black Equity is a global network devoted to improving the lives of Black LGBTQ+ individuals through economic, social and health equity.
• Since 1944, The United Negro College Fund has raised more than $5 billion to help more than 500,000 student attend college
• The NAACP is one of the most established civil rights organizations that works on a broad scale to achieve equal rights and remove barriers of racial discrimination

It is important to note that these suggestions are only a start. There are numerous resources, businesses and organizations not listed here that need the help of everybody, regardless of background. Do your own research to find Black causes that you connect with and can commit support to.