Juneteenth and Evolving Nonprofit Governance

By Heyward S. Watson, MSM, CDP

(Republished from June 2022)

For the last 156 years, Juneteenth has been an observed #holiday. But not in every state at the same time. It has been an evolution.

Originally, #Juneteenth came about in June 1865 when enslaved Black people in Texas learned of the Emancipation Proclamation. The last enslaved people of the Confederacy were officially declared free.

The?celebration of African American freedom?continued in Texas and several other locations across the United States as an unofficial holiday. Millions of African Americans and other advocates joined together in creating a #movement.?

Over the years, in different states, Juneteenth has had several different names, such as?Emancipation Day or Black Independence Day.

In 2021, Juneteenth became an official federal holiday.?

Outcomes of Nonprofit Governance

Lately, I have been considering how the evolution of the Juneteenth celebration follows Third Sector Company’s “Outcomes of Nonprofit Governance” taught in the board learning program,?Board Chairs Academy.

The outcomes of nonprofit governance include six components:?

1. Evolve the Organization with the Community?

2. Engage the Community to Advocate the Cause (Mission)

3. Guarantee the Community a Resilient and Responsible Organization

4. Create Measured Community Impact?

5. Cultivate the Next Community Leaders for the Cause

6. Mobilize an Equitable and Inclusive Work Process to Serve the Community

First, let us look at how the evolution of the Juneteenth celebration included an evolving organization and a clear sense of purpose.?

I argue that the #cause behind Juneteenth is the continuous will of Black people to celebrate the milestone of freedom. Over time, this clear sense of purpose formed a national Juneteenth organization to support them.?

Demonstrated values and pursuit of a cause created an #organization to support #communities and have an impact.?

They evolved together.

Next, a network of shared values spread out across several hundred smaller organizations throughout the country. To reach the goal of celebrating the official end of slavery and involuntary servitude, there required longstanding resiliency and support.

As organizations grew and continued pursuing the cause for a national federal holiday designation, community leaders needed to be cultivated. Over 156 years, it is safe to say that genuine support was cultivated from generations of #leaders sharing a common #cause of a national holiday celebrating the beginning of full United States citizenship for African Americans.

The story of freedom and equal rights for African Americans is not complete. The struggle to gain full civil rights that continues to this day is also an evolution.

On behalf of the Third Sector Company, I wish everyone a happy, safe, and peaceful Juneteenth Celebration.

If you are interested in evolving your nonprofit #governance, I encourage you to review the?board leadership services?provided by Third Sector Company, including?Board Assessment and Success,?Succession Planning?and?Board Retreat Facilitation.

Heyward Watson

Senior Strategist – Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Third Sector Company, SPC.?[email protected]?

https://thirdsectorcompany.com/f/nonprofit-governance-and-the-evolution-of-juneteenth-1