Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, marks the day when news of emancipation reached the last enslaved people two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Micron highlights Juneteenth to celebrate our Black team members’ history and experiences and the influence these have had on shaping our nation.

Inclusion is more than just a buzz word at Micron. We strongly believe that shared understanding, particularly of our colleagues’ culture and history, is key to creating a workplace for all. One of our FY21 diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) commitments is to strengthen our culture of inclusion, with responsibility for advancing this commitment owned by Micron’s chief people officer.

For the second year in a row, Micron is recognizing Juneteenth with reflective events, many sponsored by our Black Employee Network (BEN) employee resource group. The events are designed to increase our understanding of the Black community’s experiences and to celebrate this special day. We are also taking the opportunity to amplify Micron’s commitments to social justice.

Micron partners with historically Black colleges and universities

Juneteenth is a perfect time to announce Micron is joining the Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ (HBCU’s) Partnership Challenge. The Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus sponsors the challenge and encourages participating organizations to make greater investments in HBCUs. Micron and the Micron Foundation are partnering with Howard University, Norfolk State University, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T University, Virginia State University, Florida A&M University, and the Atlanta University Center Consortium. These are our current efforts, and we will continue making strides in this space:

• Participating in career fairs and hosting information sessions in collaboration with student organizations at our HBCU partners.
• Increasing our engagement with the National Society of Black Engineers to strengthen our outreach efforts to HBCUs
• Providing opportunities for more equitable access to STEM education experience through engagement and financial support of faculty and students
• Financially supporting Norfolk State University and its on-campus cleanroom — a controlled environment with low levels of pollutants that can adversely affect manufacturing processes on their campus — to provide students access to the latest technologies in chip design and manufacturing.

Our relationship with the National Society of Black Engineers is succeeding

Another of Micron’s six DEI commitments is increasing representation of underrepresented groups. We’ve introduced inclusive hiring practices, including an expanded relationship with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). And it’s paying off by helping us increase diversity among our new college hires. Micron has hired 20 NSBE engineers into various departments including technology and products, information technology, catalyst rotation, and finance. We have also hired a portion of these engineers into manufacturing positions at our Manassas, Virginia site.

Increasing representation is an important step in Micron’s DEI strategy. But to truly build our best workforce, it’s vital that we recognize cultural milestones like Juneteenth. It’s this inclusivity that helps all team members feel a sense of belonging — so they can bring their authentic and best selves to work and help accelerate Micron’s innovation.