Nike is adding June 19, a holiday called Juneteenth, to its list of official, paid company holidays.
The sportswear giant joins a growing number of companies that announced this week they are making Juneteenth, the oldest known US celebration of the end of slavery, an annual company holiday.
Nike CEO John Donahoe made the announcement in a letter to employees Thursday, along with several other actions the company plans to take in light of nationwide demonstrations calling for racial justice.
Although Nike has relied on black athletes and talent to build and market its brand, Donahoe acknowledged that the company’s culture may not be as welcoming to black employees.
In addition to other efforts, Donahoe said Nike’s board and executive team also plan to set targets for diversifying the company’s workforce, with a focus on increasing the number of black, Latinx and women employees.