Prudential colleagues share how they are honoring the holiday this year.
Juneteenth commemorates the official end of slavery, on June 19, 1865. It’s when the last enslaved Black Americans in Texas learned they were free — two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Although Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, many Americans still know little about it: In a 2021 Gallup poll, 28% of respondents reported knowing nothing at all.
But knowing our history is key to understanding how the financial and social barriers created more than a century ago are still causing ongoing inequality. That’s why Prudential decided to mark Juneteenth as a day of reflection and education as one of its nine racial equity commitments. Knowing our history is key to understanding how the financial and social barriers created more than a century ago are still causing ongoing inequality.
George Floyd’s murder two years ago catalyzed a national movement that made many Americans reexamine the role they play in furthering racial equity and added urgency to ongoing efforts by corporations like ours to combat institutional bias and ensure equal access and opportunities.
Our goal is to learn the best way to meet the needs of all who have historically been overlooked or poorly served by our industry. We’re determined to make the creation of shared value - for Prudential and for our customers and their communities - a core part of the way we do business. It’s one way we’ll live our Purpose and grow our company.
In the video above, some of our Prudential colleagues share how they are honoring the holiday this year.
