Explore meaningful ways to recognize Juneteenth at work with more than two dozen team-building ideas designed to educate, engage, and bring your employees together.
From interactive sessions to thoughtful, respectful ways to mark the day, the activities in this post will help your team connect with each other while deepening your understanding of Juneteenth’s significance.
As a federal holiday, Juneteenth (on June 19th) offers an opportunity to learn, reflect, and build stronger connections across your workplace.
Juneteenth team building ideas for work:
- Book an interactive Juneteenth virtual team building event
- Support Black-owned businesses and restaurants
- Host a Juneteenth lunch & learn
- Participate in virtual museum programming
- Share Juneteenth quotes to inspire your team and stakeholders
- Explore art, music, and literature reflecting on Juneteenth themes
- Match employees’ donations to causes that promote inclusivity and social justice
Watch the short video below to learn why Juneteenth matters more than ever. Then, read on to discover meaningful ways to honor the holiday at work.
24+ Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth at Work
Book a Top-Rated Juneteenth Virtual Team Building Event
The interactive Juneteenth: Emancipation Team Building experience, featured in Lonely Planet as one of the best ways to honor Juneteenth, is an approachable and engaging way to learn some of America’s most important history.
During this engaging, hour-long experience, your team will explore the history and cultural significance of Juneteenth through a guided virtual journey. Led by expert hosts, the session includes a live-streamed visit to Hampton, Virginia, home to Fort Monroe, where pivotal moments in the story of Emancipation unfolded.
Along the way, your team will learn about influential figures like Harriet Tubman and John Brown, uncover the origins of June 19th, and explore the traditions tied to the holiday – including the historical significance of barbecue and red foods. Interactive elements like trivia and storytelling keep the experience dynamic, while visits to Emancipation sites across the country bring the history to life.
For an added layer of connection, you can opt to send Celebration Boxes (pictured above) directly to your employees’ homes. These thoughtfully-curated boxes feature products from 100% Black-owned small businesses, including snacks and refreshments inspired by Juneteenth traditions, a commemorative candle, and a custom card with your company’s branding.
Designed to be participatory and engaging, this experience goes beyond a standard presentation and invites your team to actively learn, reflect, and connect.
Learn more and sign up for a meaningful virtual Juneteenth team building experience.
Make the Day a Paid Corporate Holiday
Since Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, a growing number of companies – from major retailers to tech firms – have introduced paid time off or alternative ways to observe the day, though approaches vary across organizations. Taking the day off allows your team to pause and reflect on the holiday’s meaning.
One idea: encourage employees to spend the day engaging more deeply with the history and ongoing impact of Juneteenth, whether through learning, reflection, or meaningful conversation.
For a simple but thoughtful touch, consider providing a copy-and-paste out-of-office message that shares Juneteenth’s significance. It’s an easy way to extend awareness beyond your organization while reinforcing your commitment to a more inclusive and informed workplace.
Another approach is to “take the day on” rather than taking it off by offering opportunities for employees to participate in volunteer efforts or community-based initiatives, like the ideas shared below.
Explore how other organizations are recognizing Juneteenth in this article: 8 Companies That Celebrate Juneteenth and Inspire Action.
Host a Creative Brainstorming Session
For marketing and creative teams, host a brainstorming session on the topic of Juneteenth social media and marketing content. For example: what types of posts will your company share in anticipation of the day? Will you publicize your company’s efforts to recognize the holiday?
Planning your efforts ahead of time can result in additional learning and dialogue for everyone on your team. Additionally, you can find creative ways to educate and engage your social media audiences on this important holiday.
For example, your visuals might incorporate Juneteenth colors (red, black, and green) or feature the Juneteenth flag, while your content could highlight meaningful quotes, traditions, or historical context. You might also incorporate interactive elements like polls or quizzes to invite participation and share key insights about the day’s significance.
The goal isn’t just to post, but to create content that’s thoughtful, engaging, and grounded in understanding – helping your audience connect more meaningfully with the history behind the holiday.
Explore Juneteenth Foods During a Virtual Event
Food has always been a powerful way to bring people together, and Juneteenth is no exception. The holiday is rooted in rich culinary traditions, with many dishes designed to be shared, transported, and enjoyed in community.
With a focus on intersectionality and the stories of leaders like Ida B. Wells and Opal Lee, the Juneteenth: Rise Virtual Tour from Unexpected Virtual Tours and Training highlights Black achievement in the early 1900s while acknowledging the challenges these communities faced.
During this experience, your team will take a moving virtual journey to the “Land of Lincoln” to explore how emancipation reshaped lives. You’ll visit Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood (an important center of Black cultural life) and encounter landmarks like the Light of Truth monument.
Along the way, interactive trivia keeps the experience engaging, with topics ranging from the evolution of Soul Food to the stories of influential Black women chefs and the origins of iconic American dishes. For an added layer of connection, you can opt to include curated treat boxes featuring foods from 100% Black-owned small businesses.
Watch a Juneteenth Video Together
For a rich team building experience that encourages discussion, try watching a Juneteenth video with your team and discussing toogether on a video call.
A few of our favorite educational Juneteenth videos:
- Grandmother of Juneteenth, Opal Lee, Shares the Importance of this Historic Holiday (Southern Living, 6 minutes)
- Why All Americans Should Honor Juneteenth (Vox, 7 minutes)
- On Juneteenth (US National Archives, 1 hour)
Note: while the sentiment behind Juneteenth is ultimately uplifting, the imagery and experiences shared in some videos can be harrowing and difficult to process. Be sure to make this event optional and allow participants to go “off camera” or leave the meeting as needed.
Match Employees’ Donations to Social Justice-Focused Nonprofits
During the month of June (or all year round), consider matching your employees’ donations to nonprofits focused on social justice and Civil Rights. To stick within a budget, you can set a dollar limit per employee for your company’s matching gifts, or a total limit.
Starting a matching gifts program is a great way to inspire employees to support others while also demonstrating your company’s values. A matching gift program can also support employee engagement and play a role in attracting and retaining talent. Be sure to discuss with your accounting team the potential tax benefits of making donations, too.
Not sure how to start a corporate matching gift program? Download the complete guide to gift matching from charities.org. This guide walks employers through each step of the process to make matching gift programs easy.
Share Meaningful Quotes
A great quotation has the power to inspire, educate, and enlighten your team. This June 19th, shine a light on Black voices by sharing meaningful Juneteenth quotes.
Try sharing one quote with your team each day during the month of June. This will create a moment of inspiration and learning that team members can look forward to each day.
To encourage a dialogue, share quotes with your team via a Slack channel or other chat app and encourage everyone to respond with their thoughts and reactions. Or, add quotes to an internal newsletter or team update email.
Get started with Parade’s list of 65 Quotes to Better Understand Juneteenth.
Explore Fashion & Self-Expression in Juneteenth Traditions
Juneteenth celebrations have long been about more than commemorating a historic event. In fact, Juneteenth is often seen as an opportunity for joy, community, creativity, and self-expression. One unique way to explore this aspect of the holiday is through Juneteenth: Celebration, an interactive virtual experience from Unexpected Virtual Tours & Training.
Through storytelling, trivia, and live-streaming from New York City, your team will discover how fashion, photography, and personal style have played important roles in Emancipation Day celebrations throughout history. Along the way, you’ll encounter influential figures such as Elizabeth Keckley (seamstress to First Lady Lincoln), Frederick Douglass, Ann Lowe, and Diana Ross while exploring themes of identity, agency, and cultural pride.
Designed to be engaging rather than lecture-based, this experience offers teams a thoughtful way to celebrate Juneteenth while learning about the traditions and cultural expressions that continue to shape the holiday today.
Learn more and book your Juneteenth: Celebration experience today.
Participate in a Volunteer Project
One impactful idea is to make Juneteenth a company-wide volunteer day. For remote teams in the same city, consider organizing an in-person group volunteer activity with a nonprofit in your area. For teams spread across the globe, you can provide everyone with a paid day off to volunteer in their community. Or, look for virtual volunteer opportunities that allow everyone to collaborate on a project together.
While any volunteer project will help your team feel more connected to their community, consider seeking out organizations that are BIPOC-led (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and/or working with organizations that empower and serve BIPOC people.
Find a Juneteenth volunteer opportunity with a nonprofit in your area at idealist.org. Additionally, you can continue volunteering year-round with worthwhile causes!
Start a Virtual Book Club for Employees
This idea is perfect for employees who want to engage with Juneteenth learning on a deeper level. Consider organizing a virtual Juneteenth book club!
Step-by-step guide for organizing a Juneteenth book club:
- Create a poll using an online survey tool like Jotform.
- Then, send it to your team so everyone can vote on which book they’d like to read and when they’re free to meet.
- Next, order copies of the book for everyone and have them shipped directly to each person.
- Create a list of discussion questions for the group to encourage discussion and connection. See below for inspiration!
- Finally, during the month of June, you can have weekly virtual book club meetings for everyone to share their thoughts on the selected book.
Juneteenth book club discussion questions:
- What did you learn about Juneteenth or Black history?
- What was the most memorable part of this book for you?
- Did this book make you reconsider anything in your life or in our society? In what ways?
- What are you still curious about after reading this book?
Find a book for your team to read with Penguin RandomHouse’s Juneteenth Reading List. In this list, you’ll discover plenty of nonfiction and fiction page-turners related to the holiday.
Sponsor a Trip to Your Employees’ Local Museum
If your team is remote, you might not be able to visit a museum in person for Juneteenth. But, you can observe the holiday by encouraging your team to visit their local African American history museum! Offer reimbursement to each employee for a museum visit, and maybe even a lunch out.
The goal behind this idea is to help your team explore new ideas and learn about important history in a way that feels participatory and allows them to break free from a screen. At the same time, your employees may benefit from a debrief session afterward.
Get together on a video call after your visits so everyone can share their experience and what they learned. You can even share screens to present photos or video from your visits. Turn it into a recurring session and let everyone take a turn playing virtual museum tour guide!
Find a museum near you with this guide to African American museums in the United States and Canada. Or, if you don’t have a museum nearby, continue reading to explore virtual experiences with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Explore African American Art and Celebrate Black Creativity
In combination with the museum activity above – or as its own activity – explore African American art with your team! You can choose works that reflect on the topic of Juneteenth from modern or historical artists.
Celebrate African American history and creativity together. Share your screen and present a work of art for discussion. To enrich your session, you can also watch a video or share an article on your selected artist to learn more about their life and the work in front of you.
Moreover, you can invite each team member to take turns presenting a work of art and its meaning.
View artwork and photographs via the Harvard Art Museum’s article, Celebrating Juneteenth: The Power of Portraits.
Gift Employees Juneteenth & Black Pride Swag
Gift your employees a keepsake item that will help them demonstrate their Black pride or allyship all year long.
This idea works well in combination with other activities on this list. For instance, you could plan a Juneteenth volunteer day and encourage everyone to wear their t-shirt. Or, host a lunch and learn with a unique keepsake item to remind team members of the experience year-round.
Employee gifts from Black-owned shops:
Find more ideas with Good Housekeeping’s list of 60+ Black-Owned Businesses to Shop Now and Forever.
Support Black-Owned Businesses Year-Round
Treat your employees while also supporting a Black-owned businesses!
For example, when birthdays and work anniversaries roll around, gift employees something special from a Black-owned shop, whether in person or online. You can also shop Black-owned for client gifts, team swag items, employee giveaways, and even everyday purchases like office supplies.
Better yet – take the opportunity to broaden your vendor list so your team supports a wide variety of businesses year round, for any occasion!
For a creative employee gift or swag item, browse Etsy’s Black-Owned Shops. You’ll find stylish stationery, planters, and even cookies.
Listen to Inspired Music
Music has long been a powerful force in Black history and culture, serving as expression, resistance, and connection during slavery and continuing to shape identity and storytelling today. Many of the sounds and styles we enjoy across genres trace back to the creativity and influence of Black musicians.
Juneteenth offers a meaningful opportunity to listen more intentionally. Explore songs that reflect themes of oppression, freedom, and the enduring strength of activism, and consider sharing a playlist with your team as a way to learn and reflect together.
For a thoughtful starting point, check out NPR’s “Songs to believe in: A Juneteenth playlist,” featuring reflections on the holiday alongside impactful song recommendations.
Host Family-Friendly Virtual Events
One of the benefits of remote work is the feeling of connectedness that comes from catching a glimpse of your team’s home life. In fact, you might be used to pets and children occasionally hopping into camera frame to say hello!
While in-office teams might host a company picnic or potluck to get to know everyone’s families, consider hosting a virtual story time for your employees and their little ones.
To start this initiative, look to the New York Public Library’s list of Children’s Books to Celebrate Juneteenth. You can have employees vote on a book to read, send everyone a copy (bonus points for supporting a local bookshop!), and take read together during a meaningful video call.
Plan a Lunch & Learn
Invite your team to a memorable lunch and learn session. During the meeting, you can hear from an expert guest speaker, host a Juneteenth panel discussion, ask questions, and spark important dialogues.
Additionally, add on to your lunch and learn by including other activities in this list. For instance, order lunch for your team members from a Black-owned restaurant or start your lunch and learn with an informative video. Additionally, you could use your Juneteenth lunch and learn as a kick-off for a volunteer project.
To get started, browse Juneteenth guest speakers available for hire through the All American Entertainment Speakers Bureau. Or, book a top-rated interactive virtual Juneteenth learning session.
Treat Your Team to Lunch from a Black-Owned Restaurant
Whether your team is around the world or around the corner, you can treat everyone to a meal from a Black-owned restaurant!
Encourage employees to try someplace new, or get a meal from their favorite Black-owned restaurant. Either way, this is a fun and delicious way to honor the holiday. Moreover, this activity pairs perfectly with other ideas on this list. For instance, treat employees to lunch as you get together virtually for a lunch and learn, book discussion, virtual museum tour, or other activity.
To get started, visit eatblackowned.com, the internet’s largest directory of Black-owned restaurants. Find a restaurant near you, share the menu with your team, and let everyone pick the lunch they’d like delivered to them.
Participate in Virtual Events with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC)
As one of the country’s premiere museums devoted to African American history, the NMAAHC offers a variety of in-person and virtual Juneteenth programming each year.
The lineup typically includes lectures and guest speakers, musical performances, book readings, and other fun and educational activities.
Eager to explore the museum’s virtual programs before Juneteenth, or throughout the year? Explore the NMAAHC’s Curator Chat video archives. You’ll hear from the museum’s curators as they explain important moments in African American history. You can even virtually tour an exhibit.
Listen to a Podcast About the Holiday & Discuss
Listening to a podcast is a great way to learn something new while you’re cleaning, exercising, driving, or relaxing around the house. Try listening to a podcast episode about Juneteenth with your team, then discussing it together!
Offer flexibility by encouraging your team to listen to the selected podcast episode any time during the week of Juneteenth. Then, schedule a time for everyone to hop on a video call and discuss. Or, you can make this an active, ongoing Slack conversation throughout the week and allow everyone to chime in as their schedules allow.
One of our favorite podcast episodes? The Juneteenth Mixtape, from “Be Antiracist with Ibram X. Kendi” (26 minutes).
Plan a Juneteenth Trivia Session
After learning about Juneteenth together, plan a trivia session to test your team’s knowledge! You can create your own list of trivia questions or find one online.
Juneteenth trivia questions to get you started:
- When is Juneteenth celebrated? June 19.
- When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday? June 17, 2021
- What is another name for Juneteenth? Emancipation Day
- When did Abraham Lincoln issue the Emancipation Proclamation? January 1, 1863
- When were enslaved people in Texas finally freed? June 19, 1865
This activity works well in combination with some of the other ideas, like hosting a lunch and learn or book club. Then, plan a trivia session to see what everyone earned from the experience.
Use a service like Kahoot to set up your team trivia game and learn with your team.
Watch a Live-Streamed Juneteenth Celebration
Attend the Annual Juneteenth NYC Festival – Live on YouTube! Each year, this special event shares Juneteenth celebrations over the course of several days.
The vibrant Juneteenth NYC Festival draws 20,000+ in-person attendees and includes music, dance, poetry, skits, history, vendors, and family activities. Specific virtual activities are yet to be announced. Be sure to check the event website, JuneteenthNY.com, for details leading up to this year’s celebrations!
Encourage Employee-Led Initiatives
Do your employees have ideas they are passionate about to honor Juneteenth? Allow them creative rein and the opportunity to bring their ideas to life.
With the guidance of a manager and/or your human resources department, allow employees to organize a virtual event, a fundraising initiative, or other project that resonates with them.
This is a great way to offer employees leadership opportunities, autonomy, and creative challenges while providing value to the team. Remember, since these activities are work-related and play a valuable role in building corporate culture, time spent organizing Juneteenth activities should be paid and on the clock.
Carry the Significance of Juneteenth With You All Year
Juneteenth, like Black History Month, can – and should – spark meaningful, year-round conversation within your organization. It’s an opportunity to reflect on your team’s commitment to inclusion, from hiring and pay practices to leadership representation, and consider where there’s room to grow.
As we celebrate Juneteenth, it’s also a reminder that progress requires sustained attention. Many organizations are continuing to engage thoughtfully by listening, learning, and taking action in ways that extend beyond a single day.
If you’re looking for practical ways to build on that momentum, explore our guide: 34+ Ideas to Foster Inclusion for Remote Teams.
How Can You Celebrate Juneteenth While Avoiding Common Mistakes?
Learn some of the do’s & don’t’s of celebrating Juneteenth in the short video below. Then, read on to learn more!
Avoid Putting Employees on the Spot
Don’t put employees on the spot by asking them to share in company communications without talking to them first.
Historically, Juneteenth was celebrated only in Texas, so not every African American may have traditions associated with this holiday. Moreover, enslavement is an emotional topic. As a result, not everyone may feel comfortable sharing their thoughts or feelings about it.
Don’t Over-Commercialize Juneteenth
Juneteenth should not be treated as a marketing gimmick. In recent years, some companies have come under fire for pushing out products that do not reflect the holiday’s history and heritage.
Instead, consider purchasing from Black-owned businesses who produce beautiful Juneteenth-focused products, or support a cause that benefits the Black community.
Don’t Contribute to Harmful Stereotypes
When honoring the holiday, be intentional in your choices. For example, watermelon is both a food that is historically served at Juneteenth celebrations and also a food that has significant negative stereotypes due to centuries of demeaning caricatures. Be thoughtful so that you do not contribute to harmful stereotypes.
When planning your celebrations, remember that the holiday has a rich history that incorporates a range of communities and cultures – so don’t assume what should be done based on generalizations. Listen to experts and do your research ahead of time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Juneteenth
Juneteenth is an important U.S. holiday with deep historical and cultural significance. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Emancipation Day, it marks a pivotal moment in American history. Below, we answer common questions about Juneteenth, including its meaning, history, and how to celebrate Juneteenth thoughtfully at work.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a U.S. holiday observed on June 19 that commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed of their freedom, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth has since become a day to honor Black history, culture, and resilience.
Why is Juneteenth important?
Juneteenth marks a pivotal moment in U.S. history and highlights the delayed enforcement of emancipation in Confederate states. Today, Juneteenth serves as a time to reflect, learn, and recognize the ongoing impact of Black history and contributions.
Is Juneteenth a federal holiday in the U.S.?
Yes, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States in 2021. Long before that, Juneteenth was widely celebrated in Black communities across the country.
How do people celebrate Juneteenth?
Juneteenth celebrations often include community gatherings, music, storytelling, educational events, and shared meals. Many people also observe Juneteenth by supporting Black-owned businesses or engaging with resources that highlight Black history and culture.
What foods are traditionally eaten on Juneteenth?
Juneteenth celebrations often feature red foods and drinks, such as red velvet cake, watermelon, and hibiscus tea, which symbolize resilience and remembrance. Barbecue and other shareable dishes are also commonly enjoyed during Juneteenth gatherings.
How can workplaces observe Juneteenth respectfully?
Organizations can observe Juneteenth by creating space for education, reflection, and dialogue. This might include hosting learning sessions, sharing curated resources, supporting Black-led organizations, or bringing in facilitated programs to help teams engage more thoughtfully with the history and meaning of Juneteenth.
Organizations looking to go deeper can explore Juneteenth programs from Unexpected Virtual Tours & Training to create more engaging and informed conversations.
Where can I learn more about Juneteenth?
There are many ways to deepen your understanding of Juneteenth, from books and documentaries to curated playlists and virtual experiences. Exploring these resources can help turn awareness into meaningful engagement – not just on Juneteenth, but throughout the year.
By celebrating Juneteenth with intention and respect, your team can foster meaningful connections, honor Black history, and contribute to lasting, positive change in the workplace and beyond. Let this holiday be a catalyst for continued learning, action, and unity throughout the year.
To deepen your team’s experience, explore Juneteenth programs from Unexpected Virtual Tours & Training designed to spark conversation, expand perspectives, and bring history to life in an engaging, accessible way.
Bring Juneteenth Learning to Your Team
Interested in creating a more meaningful Juneteenth experience at your organization? Fill out our contact form to learn more about Unexpected Virtual Tours & Training’s engaging programs and how we can tailor a session to your team.
Located in Atlanta? Check out Unexpected Atlanta Tours & Gifts