“where to get a black lives matter yard sign TODAY in DC?” also “A Call to Action: Showing Solidarity with the Global Response against Racial Injustice”

“Dear PoPville,

Wondering if you or your readers have insight as to where I might pick up a BLM yard sign today. I was unsuccessful at the google. Heading out of town tomorrow morning and would love to bring the sign to my destination.”

Also another reader passes on “A Call to Action: Showing Solidarity with the Global Response against Racial Injustice

In response to the murder of George Floyd on May 25, millions of people around the country plan to commemorate JUNETEENTH (JUNE 19) to show solidarity and support to the African American community.

In agencies across the federal government, employees are exposing the disconnect between the agency’s stated commitment to diversity and inclusion and the daily employee experience. In solidarity with these employees, we must stand up for ourselves and for each other by building a workforce that reflects our nation’s diversity and leverages the creativity of diverse, talented groups to advance America’s foreign policy priorities.

If you plan to take leave on Juneteenth and want to be in solidarity, please consider including the below message as your out of office message:

“I am out of the office on personal leave today to commemorate Juneteenth, a day when the U.S. announced in Texas the freedom of 250,000 enslaved African Americans nearly two and half years AFTER the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. Juneteenth serves as an important day of reflection and solidarity as African Americans continue to seek redress for the wrongs of the past and lingering inequalities in the present.”

If you are at work and want to show solidarity, please consider including the below message in your signature block:

“Today I commemorate Juneteenth, a day when the U.S. announced in Texas the freedom of 250,000 enslaved African Americans nearly two and half years AFTER the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect. Juneteenth serves as an important day of reflection and solidarity as African Americans continue to seek redress for the wrongs of the past and lingering inequalities in the present.”

Remember: This is just one action in a series of efforts to improve the working environment for all federal employees regardless of race. Please make sure to continue to lend your voice to building a more diverse and inclusive workforce. We can’t make a difference if we remain silent.

Some Suggested Follow-up Actions:

–Ask your leadership to host a discussion on diversity and inclusion.

–Contact your agencies/organizations employee affinity groups to find what actions they are asking for. Support their list of asks/recommendations by holding leadership to account (email leadership for status updates and clear timelines for action etc.).

–If you are in a position to make the changes requested by affinity groups and others, make them.

–Speak up when employees are creating a hostile work environment for minority staff. We must hold bad apples to account.”