Philadelphia 76ers to Recognize Juneteenth Starting Friday

This Friday, June 19th, the Philadelphia 76ers will recognize the Juneteenth holiday and plan to close their offices to issue employees the day off, per a team source. The Sixers' Managing Partners, Josh Harris and David Blitzer intend to do the same with their other sports franchises, which operate under Harris-Blitzer Sports and Entertainment.

"[HBSE] employees may spend the day renewing their commitment to fostering a culture of respect, diversity, inclusion, and equality," a Sixers spokesperson says. Juneteenth, which is also known as "Freedom Day," remembers the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy.

The decision to recognize the Juneteenth holiday comes during a critical time in the United States of America as protestors fill the streets of Philly and beyond to fight against racism, inequality, police brutality, and social injustice.

A couple of weeks back, the Sixers released a statement following the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was a victim of police brutality in Minneapolis.

"Our black community and people of color continue to face racism, prejudice and injustice. It is unacceptable and we cannot and will not tolerate it in our community. Now, more than ever, we must strive for accountability, including ensuring that our community is treated with fairness, transparency and dignity. We must stay united and strong during the conflict and hurt we are experiencing. The 76ers are committed to using our voice and taking action to support and drive change that is long overdue."

The idea to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday isn't reserved just for 2020. Starting on Friday, HBSE will keep June 19th as a company holiday every year moving forward. In addition to giving employees the day off for Juneteenth, HBSE also plans to release a new diversity and inclusion initiative in the coming weeks.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_