"May we all work together in our diversity and focus on hope." Jeff Poulin, CEO Canada Life Reinsurance
In the US, Juneteenth has become a federal holiday (June 20, 2022), commemorating June 19, 1865, the day Union Army Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, TX, and informed slaves of their emancipation. This was over two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. They were free on paper, but the reality was quite different.
“Juneteenth means so much to me. It represents the freedom that my ancestors fought so tirelessly for. But rather than focusing on the brutalization of my people then and now. I choose to focus on hope. June 19th reminds me that I am the force of power to change this world and to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors to work towards liberation.” - Mariah Cooley, legislative director of the Howard University chapter of March For Our Lives
May we all work together in our diversity and focus on hope, putting feet to our words as we strive to be an inclusive company and community. Jeff
For more on Juneteenth from the National African American History and Culture (Smithsonian): https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth
