One of the most important anniversaries in our nation’s history, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Though President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it didn’t take effect in states still under Confederate control. It wasn’t until Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay on June 19, 1865, that the army announced that the 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The date became known as Freedom Day or Juneteenth, a portmanteau blending of “June” and “nineteenth.”
While Juneteenth has been celebrated in Black communities since the 1860s, it took activists like Opal Lee, the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” to rally the rest of the country behind federal recognition to the holiday. With the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement and uprisings after George Floyd’s 2020 murder, support for Juneteenth swelled. In 2021, the U.S. federal government officially recognized the holiday nationwide. (For more on the history of Juneteenth, the National Museum of African American History & Culture has an incredible multimedia site to explore.)
At Taproot, championing and supporting social change is central to our mission. We recognize Juneteenth by closing our remote offices to encourage our team to get involved in their communities, and we encourage others to do the same. We envision a world where nonprofits working for social justice have the essential resources they need, and we are committed to helping to make that world a reality. True freedom is only possible when we all come together to uplift our communities and eliminate inequities.
Check out these opportunities to give back to Black communities available now on Taproot Plus:
- Leadership Development: Black Child Development Institute-Atlanta works to improve quality of life for Black children and families in Georgia through education and advocacy. They are in need of a volunteer to provide executive coaching to the organization’s president around change management, remote team oversight, building organizational culture, visioning, and leadership best practices.
- Graphic Design: Ted Rhodes Foundation honors the legacy of golfing pioneer Theodore “Ted” Rhodes by supporting future generations of minority golfers and golf teams at historically Black colleges and universities. They are looking for a graphic designer to update the organization’s promotional materials and assist with graphics for an upcoming charity tournament.
- Research: Zebralter Medical works to connect Black healthcare professionals and communities of color. They are looking for a volunteer to conduct stakeholder research to help the organization make data-backed decisions about messaging and outreach.
- Business Planning: Northstar is a grassroots mentorship program for boys living in Atlanta’s most underserved communities. They are seeking a volunteer to help craft a fundraising and business development strategy, including advice on grassroots fundraising, and implementation timeline.
- Executive Coaching: Community Conversations: Sister 2 Sister aims to remove barriers and improve health outcomes in the Black community. They are looking for a volunteer to provide coaching to the interim executive director around change management, building organizational culture, and earning buy-in.
