The NFL will be observing the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery this month.
In a memo to league employees Friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the league will be recognizing Juneteenth as a league holiday on Friday, Jun. 19. Goodell said in the memo. “It is a day to reflect on our past, but more importantly, consider how each one of us can continue to show up and band together to work toward a better future.”
Goodell’s Memo follows an announcement from the NFL on Thursday that the league will be committing $250 million over 10 years to social justice initiatives. The financial commitment will be used to target “systemic racism” and support “the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African Americans.”
