After a series of town hall meetings with employees, the Broncos now are taking action.
Broncos president and CEO Joe Ellis announced Monday that the team is making Juneteenth a permanent, paid holiday for the organization. The team’s offices at UCHealth Training Center and Empower Field at Mile High will close Friday to give employees a day of reflection, learning and service.
Juneteenth marks the effective end of slavery in the United States.
The league announced last week it will close its office Friday for Juneteenth. Nike also will observe Juneteeth as a paid holiday as will the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
The Broncos said in their announcement that going forward they plan social justice community service opportunities for employees on that day.
Ellis emphasized in meetings with team employees Monday that the team is committed to combating systemic racism long term, after the spotlight has ended.