A bevy of companies and states are giving their employees Juneteenth off as the Black Lives Matter protests and police shootings have brought new awareness to the plight of African Americans in the U.S.

Juneteenth, a mix of the works June and nineteenth, is the oldest commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S.

According to CNBC, companies across the country in technology (Google, Twitter), automobiles (Fiat Chrysler, General Motors, Ford), banks (JP Morgan Chase, US Bank, Capital One) retail outlets (Target, Nike) and more have given their employees the day off.

Twitter and Square gave its employees the day off and will honor the day as a permanent holiday going forward.

A day for celebration, education, and jack (@jack) June 9, 2020

Nike CEO John Donahoe said in a letter to employees last week that Juneteenth will be an annual paid holiday, CNN Business reported.

This year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam both announced plans to turn the day into a permanent paid state holiday.