Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth), honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. From its origins in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, the observance of June 19 has spread across the country. Each year, people throughout the United States take time to reflect and rejoice.
At Stericycle, we take a moment to celebrate the vital contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history. We also take this as an opportunity to reinforce our commitment to a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace for our team members. Diversity is one of our core values, and honoring the achievements and efforts of African Americans at Stericycle is just one way we put that value into action.
This year, Juneteenth celebrations at Stericycle included a virtual event organized by our employee resource group (ERG), Blacks Unify for Inclusion, Leadership, and Diversity (BUILD). BUILD is a Stericycle community of Black team members and allies, which aims to create a positive and inclusive environment for Black employees by promoting training, leadership, and mentorship while upholding Stericycle’s core values.
“We want to take this opportunity to reflect on the history of Juneteenth and create awareness on its current importance,” says Fabian Moore, BUILD Chair and President. “We would also like to highlight our mentoring program at Stericycle as well as encourage the support of local Black businesses. Many of these businesses create generational wealth in the African-American community, which is important in closing socio-economic gaps in our society.”
"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together." - Desmond Tutu, Human Rights Activist and Theologian
Learn more about Stericycle’s Employee Resource Groups and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.