More Than a Holiday: What Juneteenth Means for Communicators
Posted by Cameronamano on Jun. 28, 2025 / Subscribe 0
Written By: Arianne Murphy, PRSA-IE Director of Diversity
On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and delivered a message that was long overdue: enslaved people were free. That day became known as Juneteenth, a word born from the fusion of "June" and "nineteenth," and it marks what many rightly call the true end of American slavery.
The delay itself tells the story. Freedom had been declared on paper in January 1863, yet the reality of that freedom was withheld, suppressed, and denied to hundreds of thousands of people for more than two years. In 2021, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday, a long-overdue acknowledgment of its significance in the American narrative. But for Black Americans, Juneteenth has never needed a proclamation to matter. It has been celebrated in communities across the country for over 150 years.
We are living in a moment when the language of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access is under considerable pressure. Organizations are scaling back DEI commitments. Messaging is being softened. Some brands that once led with bold statements on social justice have quietly retreated. And yet, the communities these conversations were meant to center haven't gone anywhere. Their experiences haven't changed. Their expectations of the brands, institutions, and professionals they engage with remain.
This is precisely why Juneteenth matters to those of us in communications.
As communicators, we are in the business of narrative: shaping it, amplifying it, and yes, sometimes protecting it. Juneteenth offers us a powerful reminder that the absence of communication is itself a message. The freedom that was delayed in 1865 was delayed in part because those in power controlled the flow of information. The people most affected were deliberately kept in the dark.
That history should give us pause and purpose.
Here is what I invite each of us to reflect on as we mark this Juneteenth:
Whose stories are we amplifying? Authentic representation is not a quota or a checkbox. It is a commitment to ensuring that the full range of human experience is reflected in the work we do. When we develop campaigns, craft messaging, or advise clients, we should ask: who is missing from this story, and why?
Are we communicating with communities or at them? There is a meaningful difference between performative acknowledgment and genuine engagement. Juneteenth is not a content calendar moment. It is an invitation to build relationships with Black communities that extend beyond a single post or press release. That means listening, partnering, and showing up consistently, not just in June.
Do our internal teams reflect the audiences we serve? DEIA work is not only external. Some of the most important communications work happens inside our organizations, advocating for equitable hiring practices, inclusive workplaces, and leadership pipelines that reflect the communities we claim to serve. As a diversity director, I see firsthand how internal culture shapes external credibility.
Are we willing to hold the line when it's uncomfortable? The current climate has made it tempting to pull back on DEIA commitments to avoid controversy. But credibility is built on consistency. If our values only show up when it's easy, they aren't really our values.
Juneteenth is a celebration, and it deserves to be honored as one. It is a day of joy, resilience, and community. But for those of us in the communications profession, it is also an annual reminder that our craft carries responsibility: the responsibility to tell true stories, to give voice to the voiceless, and to ensure that no message of liberation is delayed because of who controls the microphone.
This Juneteenth, I encourage every member of our PRSA IE community to reflect not just on what we are communicating, but on what and who we may be leaving out.
The work of equity-centered communications is a practice. And it starts with us.
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