Thunder to Make Juneteenth a Permanent Holiday

The Oklahoma City Thunder are making Juneteeth a permanent holiday for all employees.

The Oklahoma City Thunder informed their employees earlier this week that their offices would be closed on Friday in observation of Juneteenth. Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th and will be a permanent holiday for all Thunder employees.  

According to Juneteeth.com, "Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States." In 1865 Union Soldiers lead by General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over, and all enslaved people were free. 

Granger's arrival came two and a half years after the emancipation proclamation. Granger read General Order Number Three, which states, "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."

The Thunder announced to staff earlier this week that their offices are closed Friday for Juneteenth. The organization is making June 19 a permanent holiday.

— Erik Horne (@ErikkHorne) June 18, 2020

"This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."

Erik Horne of the Athletic was first to report on the Thunder observing Juneteenth as a Holiday. Marc Spears of The Undefeated is confirming the Warriors are also closing their offices on Friday. The Kings, Hawks, and Magic are following suit. 

The Warriors say the organization will observe Juneteenth by encouraging active front office staff participation in the ongoing fight for racial justice. Warriors team members will also participate in a variety of events in the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 18, 2020

Oklahoma City General Manager Sam Presti says, " It's not enough for all of us to believe inequality. "..."It's what we're willing to do to sacrifice to battle the racism that threatens that equality."

" As we say, all change is local, and I really do believe that, and in this case that starts in all of our homes, how we raise our children and how we treat one another."

 "Our kids don't come into the world with this mentality. It's a learned trait, and as we teach our children, all of us, the importance of equality, the importance of justice, we also now have to take to heart that we need to teach them not only that it's okay -- not that it's okay, that you should be focused on those things, but you should also be fighting and equipping them with the tools to beat back racism when they confront it, hear it, or see it."