Boards - Lead Like Juneteenth Matters

Happy Juneteenth from The Board Pro!

Juneteenth isn’t just another holiday—it’s a wake-up call!

On June 19, 1865—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation—enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free. Think about that. Freedom had been declared, but not delivered. Truth had been spoken, but not shared. Justice had been promised, but not practiced.

Now, fast forward. What does this history mean for your nonprofit board?

Everything!

As board members, you are the stewards of power, influence, and decision-making. You guide missions built on justice, equity, and liberation—or at least you say you do. But if your boardroom isn’t reflecting those values in real, intentional ways, then it’s time to pause and listen to the lessons of Juneteenth.

1. History Holds Us Accountable

Juneteenth calls us to confront hard truths: progress can be delayed, and freedom can be selectively applied. As board leaders, are you willing to examine the ways your policies, culture, or leadership structures may be unintentionally upholding systems of harm or exclusion? If your board isn’t learning about the history of systemic racism—or how it shows up in your own mission—you’re leading in the dark.

2. Power Shared is Power Multiplied

Let’s stop pretending that gatekeeping is governance. If your board is made up of the same folks, with the same networks, having the same conversations year after year, that’s not tradition—it’s stagnation. Juneteenth reminds us what happens when truth and power are withheld. It’s time to widen the circle. Invite in new voices. Elevate lived experience. Make diversity on your board not just a checkbox—but a core value.

3. Liberation Should Guide Every Vote

Budgets, strategies, policies—your board votes on things that shape people’s lives. So ask yourselves: Are we making decisions that set people free? Are we funding programs that dismantle barriers—or just tinker around the edges? Governance is about more than oversight. It’s about impact. And Juneteenth teaches us that real impact requires bold, liberatory thinking.

4. Reflection Without Action is Just Performance

Yes, host the Juneteenth lunch-and-learn. Yes, post on social media. But don’t stop there. Let Juneteenth be your board’s annual checkpoint:

• What did we do this year to live out our equity values?

• Whose voices did we center—or silence?

• Where did we move beyond performative allyship and into transformative leadership?

  
  

Juneteenth is more than a date—it’s a call to lead with clarity, courage, and conscience. And it’s not just about the past. It’s about the boardroom decisions you make right now that can either open doors or keep them shut.

So don’t just honor the day. Embody the message.

Let’s make liberation the standard—not the exception.

If you want to learn more about liberatory governance on your board, visit www.theboardpro.com.