Juneteenth celebrations scale back as corporate sponsors pull support

Juneteenth celebrations are seeing cutbacks this year as financial support dwindles, with companies and local governments rethinking commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Parades and other festivities have been impacted by the loss of federal grants and a shift among businesses away from brand activism, just ahead of Thursday’s holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S.

Juneteenth celebrations scale back

In Denver, for example, more than a dozen companies backed out of supporting the Juneteenth Music Festival, which is one of the city’s biggest celebrations of the holiday, according to Norman Harris, executive director of JMF Corporation, which puts on the event.

What they're saying:

"There were quite a few sponsors who pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year," said Harris, who has overseen the event for more than a decade.

The governor's office in West Virginia also stated that the state won’t be hosting any Juneteenth events this year for the first time since 2017 due to a budget deficit. Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey last month signed a bill to end all diversity programs.

"Due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia, state government will not be sponsoring any formal activities," deputy press secretary Drew Galang said in an email.

A Juneteenth flag flies on a float during the 45th annual Juneteenth National Independence Day celebrations in Galveston, Texas, on June 15, 2024. (Credit: MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images)

Many local organizations have also had their budgets slashed after the National Endowment for the Arts pulled funding for numerous grants in May.

The Cooper Family Foundation throws one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in San Diego each year. It was one of dozens of groups told by the NEA in May that its $25,000 grant was being rescinded.

The email said the event no longer aligned with the agency's priorities, Maliya Jones, who works for the foundation, told The Associated Press.

DEI cutbacks impact Juneteenth celebrations

Dig deeper:

The shrinking financial support comes following President Donald Trump’s efforts to squash DEI programs throughout the federal government.

Trump signed his first executive order on DEI on his first day back in office, directing federal agencies to terminate equity-related grants and contracts. A follow-up order required federal contractors to certify that they do not promote DEI programs.

RELATED: What is Juneteenth? The history of the federal holiday and how to celebrate

Trump’s push to eliminate federal support for DEI programs is part of a broader Republican movement that argues these initiatives undermine merit-based hiring and education. Supporters of DEI policies counter that they help institutions serve diverse populations and address systemic inequality.

Big picture view:

Juneteenth celebrates the day the last enslaved people in Texas were told they were free on June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. 

The day has been celebrated by Black Americans for generations, including in Harris’ family, but became more widely celebrated after becoming a federal holiday in 2021.

The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this story. This story was reported from Los Angeles. 

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