Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos is joining a list of tech leaders calling for their companies to commemorate Juneteenth.
In a memo to employees Tuesday, Bezos encouraged them to cancel all meetings on Friday to honor Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of black people from slavery in the U.S. On that date in 1865, Union Gen. Gordon Granger read the Emancipation Proclamation to African Americans.
Rather than making it a company holiday, Amazon will offer a "range of online learning opportunities" for employees throughout the day, Bezos said. He added that employees should "take some time to reflect, learn and support each other."
Amazon is the latest tech giant to recognize Juneteenth, amid growing support for the Black Lives Matter protests for racial justice in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, said last week that both companies will honor Juneteenth as a company holiday in the U.S., while Google has instructed employees to cancel meetings that day. Facebook has also encouraged its employees to commemorate Juneteenth with a day of learning. Other companies and organizations like Nike and the National Football League made Juneteenth a holiday.
In recent weeks, Bezos has shown support for the Black Lives Matter movement in a series of Instagram posts, in which he called out angry customers who criticized the company’s show of solidarity with protesters. Earlier this month, Amazon announced it will donate $10 million to social justice organizations.
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