An annual pledge to diversity and inclusion is taking place in Richmond this month with the raising of the Juneteenth and LGBT Pride flags in the city.
In its meeting last week, the Richmond City Council proclaimed June Diversity Celebration Month in the city, which commemorates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month; Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, which celebrates the abolition of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued; and also Immigrant Heritage Month, which honors contributions by immigrants.
On Monday, the city held an atypical flag-raising ceremony at Richmond City Hall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No community members or elected officials physically attended the ceremony, which was accomplished by city employees and streamed on Zoom.
Also this week, members of the Chevron Richmond PRIDE Employee Network carried out their annual tradition of raising the Pride flag at the Chevron Technology Center. Due to the shelter-in-place order, Chevron Richmond’s annual Pride celebration had to be cancelled. This week, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth encouraged employees to reflect on “what we can each do to treat one another with respect and dignity,” in response to the tragic killings of unarmed black men and women.
