June is a month of celebration here in the US. We celebrate the LGBTQ community all month long. But on this day -- June 19 -- we also celebrate Juneteenth.
For those who may not know, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers rolled into Galveston, Texas, to announce that all enslaved people were now free.
This was more than two years after President Lincoln over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation that abolished slavery in America (and two months after Lincoln was assassinated and the official end of the Civil War). Unfortunately, free people were still held in bondage in areas still controlled by Confederates.
For African Americans, June 19 -- Juneteenth -- effectively marks the end of slavery.
The first Juneteenth celebrations began the following year, with church-centered community gatherings in Texas organized by formerly enslaved people. By 1980, the Texas state government declared Juneteenth a state holiday.
Juneteenth celebrations spread across the South, eventually migrating North with the Great Migration. Then, in the summer of 2021, with the nation reeling over the tragic death of George Floyd, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing it as an official federal holiday in the United States.
In his comments announcing the Juneteenth holiday, President Biden noted the many accomplishments of African Americans, referring to them as "our laborers who built this nation."
We're Still Building
African Americans are still building in America. We build strong and supportive communities through local organizations, neighborhood associations, and community centers. We're founding and supporting schools, colleges, and educational programs that focus on empowering the next generations.
We are establishing and growing businesses across multiple industrial sectors that make meaningful contributions to the nation's economy and provide employment opportunities to all people, regardless of the community to which they belong.
At Direct Digital Holdings, we are proud builders. We have built a family of brands -- Colossus SSP, Orange 142, and Huddled Masses -- that serve both a diverse and general community at the national, regional, and local levels. We help publishers, brands, agencies, and ad-tech partners alike.
To continue this legacy of building and fostering growth, we are introducing Project Momentum.
Project Momentum: Equality for All
Project Momentum is an education initiative designed to help diverse-owned publishers thrive in the programmatic space. At its core, Momentum serves as the engine to drive equality within the programmatic ecosystem. It acts as a catalyst, bridging the gap between brands and the multicultural audiences they want to reach by ensuring diverse-owned publishers have the tools and knowledge they need to participate fully in the programmatic market.
Project Momentum is a comprehensive program that offers both education and advertising assistance. This dual approach enables diverse-owned publishers to succeed and compete on a level playing field. The impact of this initiative is monumental, as it fosters a more inclusive and dynamic programmatic landscape.
Project Momentum is about creating lasting change and opportunity, ensuring that diverse voices are heard and valued in the digital advertising world.
The Ninth Black-Owned Business to Go Public
DDH is proud to be a public company. We are the ninth Black-owned business to achieve this milestone and the first within the digital advertising sector.
We hope that our efforts will pave the way for other diverse-owned companies to go public, as it is a critical milestone that provides greater access to capital, validates the business model in the eyes of investors, promotes transparency and governance, and is a critical benchmark of success.
Why It's Important to Recognize Juneteenth
Recognizing Juneteenth honors the struggles and achievements of African Americans and acknowledges the long journey toward freedom and equality. Black-owned businesses are an integral part of the community, contributing to this country's economic diversity and vitality.
By celebrating Juneteenth, we collectively acknowledge the value of diverse-owned businesses and their essential role in building a more inclusive and prosperous society.
Happy Juneteenth!
