Why is there momentum for Juneteenth?

There is momentum for one of America’s oldest holidays as more people acknowledge and celebrate Emancipation Day.

Momentum for Juneteenth was at an MFactor of 80 at this time last year. Juneteenth was a high velocity and high mass topic as many learned of the holiday’s historic importance.

The 2020 Black Lives Matter movement was one of the catalysts for corporations, brands and individuals to recognize Juneteenth. In 2020 NYC declared Juneteenth an official city holiday and public school holiday. Brands like Estée Lauder Companies, Nike, Levi’s (and Decode_M!) recognized it as a company holiday. Activists reignited their fight for federal observance. 

Momentum for Juneteenth in 2021 is on the rise again: up from a low of 8 in April to a high of 22 this week and rising. Juneteenth is a high mass, lower velocity topic as more people are aware of Juneteenth.

Research revealed that even though Juneteenth had high momentum in 2020, many had heard about it for the first time in 2020 but did not actually acknowledge or celebrate it. This year, they have a better idea as to how the holiday should be acknowledged and celebrated and are looking for their companies and brands to guide them.

Juneteenth MFactor, Velocity and Mass. MFactor is a proprietary tool that measures cultural momentum through topic modeling and sentiment analysis.

Juneteenth MFactor, Velocity and Mass. MFactor is a proprietary tool that measures cultural momentum through topic modeling and sentiment analysis.

WHAT’S DOWN: Performative, tokenizing, appropriative and overly-politicized acknowledgements of Juneteenth. Companies, brands and organizations can misstep in their acknowledgement of Juneteenth by:

  • Making empty statements/commitments to racial progress without actions or follow ups

  • Acknowledging and centering a particular minority on “their day” and that day only

  • Using Juneteenth as a way to sell products and make profits. Juneteenth should not be used as a money-generating moment for corporations

  • Taking a strong stance and being overly-political when it’s not in line with how your brand / company typically responds to issues

  • The onus of educating employees on how to properly engage with Juneteenth should not be the responsibility of Black people.

WHAT’S NEXT? Brands and businesses authentically acknowledging Juneteenth understand that how they recognize Juneteenth varies by celebrant -- taking into consideration that different racial groups will have different observations of Juneteenth in 2021. For example: 

  • For people who’s families were enslaved in the US: Juneteenth is a recognition of emancipation from slavery. Some may use the day to celebrate or continue to work on behalf of the advancement of marginalized communities.

  • For people whose families did not experience slavery in the US: Juneteenth will be a day of reflection, education, and personal advocacy. There’s some sensitivity that non-BIPOC people may disrespect the holiday, "whitewash" it or treat it as if it's any other "day off" -- ignoring the anti-racism intention.

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