Juneteenth and a $5000+ commitment
As we come up on the first federally recognized Juneteenth Holiday, it is important to not only remember and honor the long and turbulent road it has taken to get such recognition, but to also open our eyes and recommit to the work that still needs to be done towards creating a truly transformed society based in equality and respect. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. In one of the most inspiring grassroots efforts of the post-Civil War period, newly freed Black men and women transformed June 19 from a day of unheeded military orders into their own annual rite, “Juneteenth,” beginning one year later in 1866. In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday.
Here at Wheatsville we use this day to reflect on our mission that was created by our cooperative founders over 45 years ago. Their simple mission was this: The purpose of Wheatsville Co-op is to create a self-reliant, self-empowering community of people that will grow and promote a transformation of society toward cooperation, justice, and non-exploitation. With that in mind they named our store after Wheatville, the first post-civil war Black community in Austin. We feel that we have honored their legacy as best we can but we also believe that we can do better.
Last year in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, we like countless others were compelled to evaluate our role in systemic racism and inequality. We committed to honoring our namesake and to make a positive impact in fighting racial injustice and advancing inclusion and diversity as a whole. We still have a lot of work to do but we are proud of what we have accomplished. Here is an update on what we have done and where we are headed.
In The Store:
One way we can have the most immediate impact is by amplifying the work of our BIPOC vendors. Following last months featured vendor Alaffia, we have chosen Nubian Heritage a Black-owned business as our Vendor of the Month for June. In their words they are "Guided by the legacy of ancient Nubia, the world's first melting pot, Nubian Heritage remixes global healing traditions into modern wellness solutions." Visit either of our stores to try their high-quality body care products.
For Pride month, we have for the second year in a row chosen a local organization making a difference in the Austin LGBTQ+ community to be the recipient of our Pride Pin sale. This year we've selected allgo. They are an organization whose mission it is to nurture and celebrate queer people of color by building, educating, and mobilizing communities toward a just and equitable society. 100% of the proceeds go to allgo.
This year we kicked off Black History Month with a very special addition to our timeline at the South Lamar location. Possibly the most important and often overlooked part of our history is our name. In 1976 our coop founders decide to pay homage to Wheatville, the first post-civil war Black community in Austin. Founded by James Wheat, a formally enslaved man from Arkansas, Wheatville had over 300 residents at its peak. Now the story of Wheatville will have a permeant home on our walls. To find out more about this important community visit here.
What we are doing:
As part of our continued commitment to honor the importance of this day, this is Wheatsville’s 2nd year providing Juneteenth as a paid holiday to staff.
Directors. Managers, Supervisors and our staff led D&I Network have undergone Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training with Dr. Kazique Prince and Jelani Consulting. This training combines individual development in addition to team development within every facet of the business.
We have been recognized by the National Cooperative Grocers as having the third highest percentage of staff diversity in the central corridor region of the United States. We are very proud of this achievement and continue to strive for the highest percentage in our region.
We are actively reaching out to BIPOC organizations that may not know of us. Even though we have successfully raised millions of dollars for local organizations over the years, we realize that not all nonprofits have the same resources to find help, especially those in marginalized communities. We are diligently working to bridge that gap.
Our Commitment:
We are also pleased to announce that we will again be giving direct support to the Black Community this year. Last year we donated $4,000 to organizations that were actively engaged in the work of racial justice and empowering Black communities. This year we are committing to $5,000. This money was raised in part from customer donations to our Co-op Community Fund. 25% of this year’s donations will be benchmarked for the specific use of the staff led D&I Network for direct donations in their name.
Celebrate in the Community:
Today there is a Juneteenth celebration with a parade starting at 10 am on Chicon, with a festival at Rosewood Park and a Fireworks display to commemorate the night on Boggy Creek. The following links have more information and further lists of Juneteenth events around the Austin area.
https://www.juneteenthcentraltexas.com/parade
Happy Juneteenth from Wheatsville Food Co-op!