Jun 10, 2020 - Technology

Twitter and Square make Juneteenth a company holiday

Jacob Knutson

A Juneteenth parade in Milwaukee in 2019. Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images for VIBE

Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey announced Tuesday that Juneteenth would become a holiday for both companies.

Why it matters: The day — June 19 — marks the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, and told slaves there that they were free and that the Civil War had ended.

Vox Media and The 19th also announced the date as a company holiday.

What he's saying: "Both Twitter and Square are making #Juneteenth (June 19th) a company holiday in the U.S., forevermore. A day for celebration, education, and connection," Dorsey tweeted.

"Countries and regions around the world have their own days to celebrate emancipation, and we will do the work to make those dates company holidays everywhere we are present," he added.

The big picture: 47 states recognize the date as a state holiday, but legislation to declare it a national holiday has repeatedly stalled in Congress, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Go deeper: How Big Tech has responded to the protests

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Twitter and Square make Juneteenth a company holiday

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