Staff Share Sentiments on Juneteenth and FINRA’s Support

2024 is the third year that Juneteenth is recognized and celebrated as a federal holiday honoring the official abolition of slavery in the United States of America.  

As history states, President Lincoln abolished slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. However, that did not immediately end slavery throughout the United States.

Jabari Beverly

Despite Lincoln’s efforts, slaves were not freed in states under Confederate control, like Texas. It wasn’t until June 19th, 1865, two and a half years later, that the Confederate state of Texas conceded to Union troops. Finally, the remaining two hundred and fifty thousand slaves that were not emancipated in 1863 were freed.

“I think acknowledging it is significant... you can't really be at ease in the present until you acknowledge the past,” says Jabari Beverly, an Associate Manager of Entitlement. “Moving forward gives us hope for the future.”

Caspar Stuart, a Senior User Experience Designer within FINRA Technology prioritizes Juneteenth with his family over other US holidays.  

Casper Stuart

“An interesting result is that we don't lean into celebrating 4th of July as much and lean more towards Juneteenth,” he says. “So, the family gets together... we do talk a little bit about history and some of the politics. We have a few parades and community-type activities that we get involved in. But we also take it as an opportunity to educate our boys... tell them a little bit about what it is, what it means, why it exists, why it's significant and why it matters.”

Here at FINRA, diversity, equity and inclusion are integrated into our values. Having Juneteenth as a paid holiday is one significant way we feel like the company celebrates and recognizes the importance of this holiday.  

“I'm really happy that FINRA gave us the day off and followed up by giving us the half-day the day before,” Jabari shares. “FINRA truly cares about their people and employees. I hear so many of my friends have jobs they don't like. At FINRA, I don't have that problem. I don't have managers I dislike... Everyone works toward the same goal. Everyone is flexible... it feels good.”

Jabari is also a member of the FINRA African American Network (FAAN). FAAN is one of FINRA’s many Employee Resource Groups (ERG). “FAAN is a place where African Americans and people of African descent and can get together and network and share experiences professionally.”  

Jabari explains that allies are also welcome. “You don't have to be Black to join- it's open to everybody. It's very inclusive.”

To promote Juneteenth and encourage FINRA staff to celebrate, FAAN coordinated a week of service called Presence with Purpose Across the Nation. This week of service encourages all FINRA staff to volunteer for an event in their city and participate in a day of collaboration and community enrichment.  

FINRA’s Presence With Purpose policy supports our Hybrid Work Policy. FINRA staff are welcome to work from home week to week but are expected to come into the office for coordinated events and activities. Leaders will plan Presence With Purpose activities to bring their teams together, be it for a picnic or for strategic planning. FINRA Technology also hosts weekly Tech Tuesdays in the spirit of Presence With Purpose. Attendance is optional, but FINRA Tech staff are encouraged to attend and learn or share knowledge on subjects of their choosing. 

FAAN also coordinated a panel discussion on June 18th, called “And Do You Belong?” This virtual conversation was a forum to discuss the importance of DEI initiatives and FINRA’s commitment to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people.

“I had a small part in planning that,” Jabari says. “Overall, I’ve been proud of the service week for Juneteenth. I think it's important that we’ve established that. It's company-wide, encouraging everyone to volunteer. It's not just FINRA that's volunteering, its people and community.”

Both Jabari and Caspar agree that the Juneteenth holiday in the United States is progress, however, the road ahead is still a long one. Both have ideas about what more can be done on and around this holiday.

Jabari suggests that we can all be a better ally through active listening.

“Honestly, I think just talk to people,” he suggests. “Learn about people's experiences. Everyone's experience and perspective are different. Truly listen. Actively listen. If you don't understand, ask them to explain. Don't listen to respond, don't listen to judge. Just listen to understand where people are coming from and how they view the world from their experiences.”

Caspar says that he hopes that one day Juneteenth is celebrated at a grander scale and across all U.S. demographics.  

“I would love to see the kind of marketing and celebration that happens for 4th of July or Memorial Day,” he says.  

Jabari suggests that we can all be a better ally through active listening.

“Honestly, I think just talk to people,” he suggests. “Learn about people's experiences. Everyone's experience and perspective are different. Truly listen. Actively listen. If you don't understand, ask them to explain. Don't listen to respond, don't listen to judge. Just listen to understand where people are coming from and how they view the world from their experiences.”