KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has announced it will close its national office and postpone all committee conference calls on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. The NABC encourages all men’s basketball coaches to celebrate and educate student-athletes and staff on the significance of Juneteenth, and to urge their institutional leadership to establish Juneteenth as a campus holiday.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, dating back to 1865. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers delivered news to slaves in Galveston, Texas that they had been declared free – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Juneteenth is an important day to both celebrate the abolition of slavery in our country, and to consider how much work remains to be done to establish racial equality,” said NABC Executive Director Jim Haney. “Moving forward, the NABC will formally establish Juneteenth as a company holiday, and we urge all of our member coaches to make this special day a focal point of their programs.”
“It’s crucial that we recognize and celebrate the significance of Juneteenth,” said Harvard coach Tommy Amaker, who also serves as co-chair of the NABC Committee on Racial Reconciliation. “Together as coaches, we can help educate our student-athletes about this important moment in our nation’s history.”
More information about the origins and significance of Juneteenth can be found here.
