The NBA has decided to give its employees paid time off to commemorate the Juneteenth for the first time in league history, according to a report.
Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, harkens back to that day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Texas and spread the word that the Civil War was over and all slaves were free.
As ESPN’s the Undefeated reports:
On Friday, NBA employees will be invited to watch a virtual screening of John Lewis: Good Trouble, a film chronicling Rep. John Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health care reform and immigration. NBA teams have also been offered the opportunity to take part in the virtual event featuring a prerecorded Q&A discussion with Lewis.
In addition, the Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Washington Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz are all recognizing Juneteenth in some fashion. The Wizards and Washington Mystics are expected to walk from the Capital One Arena in Washington to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Friday morning. The Knicks joined forces with the New York Rangers to host an MLK youth panel on Thursday with former Knicks star Allan Houston and general manager Scott Perry.
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According to a league source, the NBA hopes its June 19 programming will begin efforts to bring conversations about race to the forefront.
The NBA and the players are still resolving differences over the league’s potential return to play. The players are concerned about health issues, not being consulted on the league’s return to the extent they believe they should be, and how to further incorporate the social justice movement.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn