“We wanted to further our Juneteenth efforts this year by creating opportunities for learning and outreach that support the cause of combatting injustice and racism,” says Emily Barr, Graham Media’s president.
Many TV stations celebrated Juneteenth, leading up to and including this weekend on June 19, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in this country. Stations aired news stories showing Juneteenth community events, and other coverage that educated and informed viewers about the meaning of Juneteenth to descendants of enslaved African-Americans.
The annual observation started in 1866, a year after the emancipation, when freed men in Galveston, Texas, organized the first of what became the annual celebration of “Jubilee Day.” By the 1890s, Jubilee Day had become known as Juneteenth.
WDIV, Graham Media Group’s NBC affiliate in Detroit, like all of the Graham’s stations, took the opportunity to promote learning, reflection and action against racial injustice.
Many GMG media hubs hosted educational discussions with their communities, airing locally produced shows, public service announcements and supporting local organizations as part of the corporate-wide commitment to educating employees and viewers alike.
“We wanted to further our Juneteenth efforts this year by creating opportunities for learning and outreach that support the cause of combatting injustice and racism,” says Emily Barr, Graham Media’s president.
“This effort brought together a committee of employees from across GMG with diverse backgrounds and experiences working together to take all our colleagues on a collective learning journey focused on this important history that has been missing from most of our educational text,” says Caroline Chambers, GMG’s senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion.
In Detroit, WDIV did news stories every day leading up to Juneteenth, says Donna Harper, from WDIV’s creative services.
According to Harper, Juneteenth and Emancipation looks at a new push by community and civil rights leaders in Detroit to recognize not only Juneteenth but an Emancipation Day in August and Detroit’s connection to it.
Detroit Anti-Slavery Society is a look at how the Detroit Anti-Slavery Society came to be because of Detroit’s own dark past with slaves.
Saving Foster Farmhouse tells the story of efforts to restore a stop in the underground-railroad in the metro Detroit suburbs.
By celebrating Juneteenth with their coverage, local television broadcasters help expose injustice and racism wherever they exist.
If your station did some Juneteenth coverage you want to share, let me know. The anniversary day may be over, but the messages never get dated.
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WDIV, the Graham Media Group NBC affiliate in Detroit, is looking for a Vice-President/General Manager, a National Sales Manager and Broadcast Technology Manager/Engineering Supervisor. Click here for more specifics and how to apply.
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