In the wake of protests surrounding racial injustices in the United States, the Los Angeles Lakers and many other sports organizations have made Juneteenth a team-wide holiday for their staff.
Juneteenth is a holiday that commemorates the abolishment of slavery in the U.S., as the last of slaves were liberated in the south on June 19, 1865. While it is recognized as a holiday, it is not considered a federal holiday, meaning organizations generally don’t give employees the day off.
However, this is the first year where calls to make it a federal holiday nationwide have begun to pick up steam, and the Lakers are at the forefront of that.