North American Dental Group (NADG) is proud to recognize Juneteenth – the oldest, nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Though many may recall that President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, freeing slaves, the order was not fully enforced until June 19, 1865 – two and a half years later – a historical date now celebrated as Juneteenth.
This week, President Biden signed legislation marking June 19 as National Independence Day which formally recognizes Juneteenth as a national holiday. This day marks an important and necessary shift in our country’s rich history, an enduring moment when all people – regardless of skin color or ethnicity – were declared to be free and treated as equal. The U.S. has come a long way over the past 156 years but not without significant racial unrest and civil injustice turmoil that continues to plague our country today.
At NADG, we are committed to embodying the spirit of this day – celebrating inclusiveness, championing diversity, and living empathetically while ardently rejecting all forms of bias, discrimination, and hatred. This is the culture we continue to build.
This culture building effort is being led by our Diversity & Inclusion Committee and involves our entire NADG family. Over the past year, our Committee continue to support Team Members impacted by racial and civil unrest with strong public statements of support and outreach. More recently, the Committee launched five Team Member Resource Groups to offer outlets for discussion and sharing of ideas on diverse issues that might impact the workplace. It is through these efforts we strive to continue creating community and safe spaces for all our NADG family.
The spirit of Juneteenth is alive and well at NADG. Our strength is our culture, and our culture of inclusion is you. Thank you.
For more information, please contact:
Rodney Thomas
Vice President, Clinical Strategy
Chair, Diversity & Inclusion Committee