Juneteenth is an Opportunity to Listen, Learn, Reflect, and Understand

This Saturday will mark Juneteenth, a day celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. This year’s celebration is once more set against a backdrop of an extraordinary period of change in our country. We accept that there are no simple or quick solutions to issues that have been ignored for far too long, but we also refuse to accept the status quo.

We’re deeply moved by – and support – people standing up for change and support the voices calling for social and racial justice. However, as a marketing agency, it’s incredibly difficult to know exactly what is the right thing to do or say at this time. No words or actions seem commensurate with the weight and importance of the moment. We’ve asked ourselves what’s our responsibility to speak up? Well, perhaps that’s the point: perhaps, we should speak less and listen more.

This Friday, we will close CG Life’s doors for a day in the hope that we can use the time to listen to one another, learn from history, reflect on the struggles of many, and better understand how to make the promise of this nation a reality for everyone. We encourage others to do the same and act in support of justice and equality, denouncing systemic racism and discrimination in all their forms. While we do not even begin to think that we have all of the answers, we humbly believe that together we can make positive change happen.