The Pride of Being Black-Owned and Women-Led
June is a month of celebration here in the U.S. when we celebrate the great diversity of the American people. This June 19 is significant to us at Huddled Masses. We are Black-owned and women-led and couldn't be prouder of our accomplishments.
For those who may not know, June 19 -- Juneteenth -- is a significant day for the African American community. More than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation (more on that in a bit), many people were still enslaved. That ended in 1865, when Union soldiers rolled into Galveston, Texas, to announce that all enslaved people were now free.
For African Americans, June 19 -- Juneteenth -- effectively marks the end of slavery and the beginning of the long journey toward dignity and equality.
We, of course, recognize that the journey isn't complete. What we do cherish, however, is the realization that committing to equality is the first step towards achieving it. We've seen this at critical points in our history: the Emancipation Proclamation, the overturning of Plessy v. Ferguson (which ruled that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution if facilities were 'separate but equal') with Brown vs. Board of Education, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Historical sidenote: There is some debate about the significance of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. He issued it in November 1862, and that went into effect January 1 the following year. However, the Union and the Confederacy were still at war and were separate countries. Moreover, the Proclamation didn't apply to the four border states -- Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri -- even though those states were not part of the Confederacy. Slavery remained legal in the border states during the Civil War.
Consequently, Lincoln technically "freed" enslaved people where he did not have the power to do so and did not free them where he did still have the power to do so.
Diverse Voices Strengthen Equality
We change for the better when we listen to people who don't look like us. We have become a more inclusive, better-informed, and empathetic society. We've seen this firsthand with our workforce throughout the Digital Direct Holdings (DDH) family. We prioritize recruiting, training, and nurturing a team that embraces diversity, as we have found it to be the most effective approach to fulfilling our mission.
Support for diverse voices demands support for diverse-owned publications. Our clients can't reach and engage their multicultural voices without a strong and diverse publisher community.
We are proud of our sister company, Colossus SSP, and its Project Momentum initiative. This truly unique program is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and equitable programmatic advertising landscape. It provides education and AdOps support to creators and publishers looking to enter the market.
By providing these resources, we aim to empower media creators and help them expand their reach, enabling them to connect brands with new and diverse audiences. Huddled Masses both engages these key multicultural audiences for our partners and supports minority-owned media and diverse-owned supply chains, thereby helping to expand the voices and diversity of sites available in the ecosystem today. "Scale" will always be an issue if we are not investing and supporting the consumer and the media creators.
To help grow that scale, Mark Walker, serves on the executive committee of Bridge, a purpose-driven community on a mission to create a cultural shift in companies where DEI principles flow through all facets of an organization, from the C-Suite and marketing through product development, procurement and customer service.
To a Happy Future
Juneteenth honors the efforts of countless individuals who fought to end slavery and secure freedom and dignity for all. However, the rights and freedoms we cherish today, including freedom of the press, require our ongoing protection. At Huddled Masses, we proudly support our sister brand, Colossus SSP, in equipping diverse-owned publishers with the necessary tools and skills to succeed in programmatic marketplaces.
By empowering these publishers, we celebrate the spirit of Juneteenth and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable digital landscape. Progress does not happen on its own; it is a conscious choice. Let us support diversity, uphold justice, and strive for equality for everyone.
Happy Juneteenth!