Juneteenth
It’s a federal holiday today.
Most Americans like federal holidays. I hope that you are enjoying this post on your phone poolside, or that you are, at least, in a place with air conditioning.
If you’d like a summary of the origin of this holiday, Heather Cox Richardson has a great one posted now.
Juneteenth was the end of a time when self-interested leadership lied and deceived to trick their workforce. The enslavers of Texas kept the truth from the people they exploited in order to keep them working. They enforced it with violence.
Cruelty was normalized. It was disgusting. It was immoral. We like to think that we 21st-century Americans are better people than the enslavers were.
Your team members need their jobs. They have bills; many have families to support. Being their boss gives you significant power in their lives. Use that power for GOOD. Treat EVERYONE on your team with respect. Never exploit other people. Don’t rig the system. Pay fair wages and benefits.
We’re 160 years out from a monumental shift in American society. I hope we can reflect on the terrible aspects of history, learn from them, and make sure that we—and the people we influence—do better in our own time.
(image source: https://fenwayhealth.org/celebrating-juneteenth-2024-honoring-freedom-and-promoting-equality/)