Dodgers, Angels to recognize Juneteenth as company holiday
The Dodgers and Angels will recognize Juneteenth as a company holiday and close its offices Friday. Juneteenth, celebrated by Black Americans on June 19 since the late 1800s, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
The franchises joined a growing number of companies and institutions that have opted to officially recognize the holiday in recent weeks amid nationwide protests over systemic racism and police brutality against Black Americans.
The Dodgers informed their employees of the decision in an internal email Thursday.
“Juneteenth honors black freedom and resistance and affirms the unique contribution that Black Americans have made in the struggle for justice in the United States,” a Dodgers internal email read. “Loving our country means acknowledging our past and fighting to ensure that freedom and justice extend to us all.”
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw also tweeted a statement Thursday acknowledging Juneteenth and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. David Price, Kenley Jansen and Walker Buehler were among Dodgers teammates to retweet the statement with support.
“Black lives matter and I am committed to taking a stand and affecting change — starting with myself,” Kershaw wrote.
The Dodgers recently held an auction of player experiences and memorabilia with proceeds going to support organizations combating racial inequality and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Staff writers LZ Granderson and Maria Torres contributed to this report.
The latest proposal in negotiations to start the 2020 MLB season came two days after the owners thought they had a deal for a 60-game season.
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