Nasdaq Honors Juneteenth with Continued Commitment to Advance Economic Progress for All
In honor of Juneteenth, Nasdaq will be closed on Monday, June 19 in the U.S. to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. On the following Tuesday, Nasdaq will welcome the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) with Mayor Eric Adams in attendance to ring the opening bell at MarketSite in Times Square. The ELC is the preeminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives.
In addition, on Friday, June 16, our Global Link of Black Employees (GLOBE) employee resource group will be hosting a discussion panel with Nasdaq U.S. Exchange Board members Anita Lynch and Kathy Card Beckles to discuss the significance and impact of Juneteenth.
The day Juneteenth recognizes a pivotal moment in U.S. history, when federal troops reached Galveston, Texas to free the remaining enslaved people there on June 19, 1865. The significance of Juneteenth marks the true end of slavery in America, two months after Robert E. Lee, leader of the Confederate Army, surrendered at Appomattox, and over two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday, giving a long overdue honor to what the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture calls America’s “second Independence Day.”
For Nasdaq, celebrating Juneteenth is an important reminder of our purpose to advance economic progress for all, which includes supporting Black and minority entrepreneurs and equipping under-represented communities with the financial knowledge to empower them to build a prosperous future.
This year alone, the Nasdaq Foundation has ramped up its New investor Initiative through events like InvestHER, an in-person series that brings together female entrepreneurs and investors of color to share insights, connect, network, and inspire a new set of role models to change the perception of investor identity.
Additionally, along with Commonwealth, Nasdaq is pinpointing the barriers keeping investors of color from participating in the capital markets and crafting solutions to enable them to share in the wealth that the capital markets create. This ongoing research, titled “Transforming Investor Identity: A National Program,” is aimed at shifting perceptions of investor identity, making investing more accessible for Black and Latinx communities and cultivating more inclusive investing environments.
Meanwhile, through key programs like Milestone Makers, the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center helps young Black and minority entrepreneurs gain insights and knowledge on how best to bring their ventures to market, creating more equitable opportunities for all entrepreneurs.
At Nasdaq, we believe honoring Juneteenth helps amplify a critical moment in American history and contributes to a more inclusive world where people of all backgrounds can reach their full potential.
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