(Bloomberg) -- Mastercard Inc. will give employees the day off on June 19, a date known as Juneteenth that marks the day enslaved people discovered they were free in the U.S.
How workers spend the day is up to them, but Mastercard encouraged workers to educate themselves about the history of racism in America or volunteer with a civil rights organization. The company, in a memo Friday, also suggested employees meditate, exercise or find other ways to take care of their mental health.
“The day is a perfect opportunity for all of us around the world to pause and reflect,” Mastercard said in the memo. “While the date itself acknowledges a milestone in U.S. history, the sad fact is there's work to do everywhere to combat racism and discrimination.”
Corporations are increasingly responding to public outcry over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, which has led to nationwide protests in recent weeks, and growing awareness of systemic racism in America. Mastercard joins companies including Nike Inc. and Twitter Inc. in observing Juneteenth.
Read more: Nike to observe Juneteenth in nod to race relations
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