Eagles are closing their offices for Juneteenth observation

The Philadelphia Eagles are closing their offices this Friday, June 19 in observation of Juneteenth, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro.

For those unaware, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. You can (and should) read more about it here.

Juneteenth is not yet a national holiday but there have been increasing calls for it to be recognized as such. Especially in the aftermath of George Floyd’s fatal arrest that sparked social justice protests not only in the United States but across the world.

NFL teams like the Eagles have joined the fray of companies giving their employees paid days off in observation of Juneteenth. Vox Media, which owns SB Nation blogs like Bleeding Green Nation, is also among them.

Zangaro also notes the Eagles “plan on participating in social justice events” on Juneteenth in future years when there isn’t a global pandemic taking place. It’ll be good to see them follow through with those intentions.

The Eagles have employed a number of players in recent years who’ve served as vocal advocates for social justice. One outlet labeled the Eagles as “the NFL’s wokest team.” And though they lost a big proponent by letting go of Malcolm Jenkins, it appears they do have guys ready to take up the mantle. Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz spoke out against racism last month and Rodney McLeod, who marched in Philly’s protests, is aiming to step up.