At the Juneteenth of Palm Beach County festival, children played as a community gathered in celebration and reflection. The 4th annual event drew in large crowds including volunteers like Garrett Fox from Comcast’s Black Employee Network (BEN), an employee resource group. Fox said Juneteenth’s significance isn’t lost on him and should be a call to action to us all.
“Juneteenth is a time to celebrate resilience and perseverance despite unimaginable circumstances…and to recognize that we, as a nation, have made progress but still have much further to go.”
Garrett Fox, Senior Business Account Executive, BEN Community Service Lead
The history of Juneteenth can be traced back to Galveston, Texas. While President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, more than two years would pass before Union troops arrived and freed more than 250,000 enslaved people in the state. June 19, 1865 became known as “Juneteenth,” a day of celebration for the newly freed people. Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021.
Fox explained that day in history is why he and other BEN volunteers like James Nelms and Hersel Guerra wanted to take part in the festival. They served free hotdogs, hamburgers, juice boxes and snacks to kids at the event and enjoyed interacting with attendees.
“For me, it feels great to be involved and give back to the community. I really enjoy coming to these events with my coworkers and I hope to see more and more people volunteer with us.”
James Nelms, Business Operations Manager, BEN Co-Lead
Comcast’s Kenya Madison served as emcee for the event, running the show on stage and introducing musicians, guests and honorees. She was thrilled to see the community come together.
“Juneteenth of Palm Beach County’s event celebrated freedom and embraced allyship by giving everyone access to learn more about Black culture.”
Kenya Madison, Business Support Coordinator, BEN Co-Lead
Organizers of the festival said it highlights unity and Black excellence. The day was filled with food, music, community resources, Black-owned businesses and fun for all ages. Juneteenth of Palm Beach County was founded in 2020 to help create a shift in consciousness, addressing the systematic inequality that contributes to the wealth gap, disproportionate health outcomes and lack of educational opportunity in Black communities.
“My hope is that Juneteenth serves as annual reminder of remembering the wrongs of the past in hopes of creating a better future. Seeing smiles on kids’ faces at the event made me feel like I made a contribution, however small, to a better tomorrow.”
Hersel Guerra, Technical Product Sales Support Engineer, BEN Community Service Lead
The BEN volunteer event at the Juneteenth Festival is part of Comcast’s Team UP. The program is an always-on, 365-days-a-year effort to provide employees opportunities to get more involved in their community. Comcast’s commitment to Palm Beach County extends far and wide. Since 2010, the company has contributed over $10 million in cash and in-kind donations to non-profits, community events, sponsorships and other initiatives in Palm Beach County.
