Redskins join growing list of teams to give employees paid holiday for Juneteenth

Ron Rivera announced that the Redskins will be observing Juneteenth as a holiday, and all employees will have a paid day off.

Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera has made a point this offseason to talk to and learn from a lot of his players who are working to make their voices heard when it comes to the Black Lives Matter protests that are happening around the world, most of which were sparked with George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis Police Officers about three weeks ago.

When talking to media members last week, Rivera said that he supports any player in his right to protest, and will not stop anyone from taking a knee during the National Anthem once the season resumes, if they chose to do so. Now, after talking in a few town-hall type settings with his players and fellow coaches, Rivera is taking another step to incite change, making June 19th, or ‘Juneteenth’ a paid holiday for all Redskins personnel.

Juneteenth is not as well known as it should be in the USA, as most of us weren’t taught about it in school growing up. Much like the 4th of July for White Americans, June 19th is a day to celebrate the freedom of the last slaves in Texas back in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Many people around the US have been calling for the government to make Juneteenth a national holiday in America, using social media to do so. Rivera’s motion to treat it as one if a big step in the right direction, and I would not be surprised to see other teams follow suit.

Not only is this a win for Black Americans and those who celebrate them while working for equality and justice, but it is also a win for the Redskins. After years of seeming tone-deaf and being behind the times, the 2020 season — which was marked by the arrival of Rivera — has seen Washington be on the forefront of change in the NFL, notably when it came to the coronavirus pandemic, and shutting down travel for all personnel members. The Redskins were also quick to implement a virtual draft strategy, and now they’re one of a small but growing list of teams to celebrate a beloved holiday in America.

It may be Dan Snyder, or it may be Ron Rivera. Whoever is soliciting this change behind closed doors is doing the right thing, and America will one day be better for it.

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