Celebrating Juneteenth: Still We Rise

Salutations to all intrepid Starfinders and Pathfinders!

Today marks another observation of the Juneteenth holiday during my tenure as the Community and Social Media Specialist here at Paizo. Our offices are once again closed to acknowledge the importance of this day in African American history. For a brief overview of the history of this holiday, please read my blog from last year.

As another calendar year goes by, I implore you all to cherish and celebrate those around you who continue to persist, survive, and thrive despite constant adversity. Since it’s also Pride Month, I’d like to especially acknowledge several pioneers of justice for the Queer community who were also black. Such remarkable people include but are certainly not limited to:

Marsha P. Johnson
Audre Lorde
Bayard Rustin
Pauli Murray
James Baldwin
Angela Yvonne Davis
Barbara Smith
Janet Mock
Alvin Ailey Jr.
William Dorsey Swann
William Roscoe Leake

Just to name a few!

Say their names. Remember their power. Create spaces at your table for black and Queer players to be welcome in telling stories with you.

A great way to show solidarity and support Juneteenth and our community is by donating time, money, or other resources to a black-focused organization. Here are the ones we recommend:

Color of Change

The Marsha P. Johnson Institute

National Black Justice Coalition

NAACP, or The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Please refer to them as the NAACP only if you are non-black

SPLC, or Southern Poverty Law Center

To learn more about Juneteenth and why we celebrate it, check out Juneteenth.com.

Thank you all again for making my time at Paizo so enriching, and thank you to Paizo for giving me the platform to be black, non-binary, and game in spaces where I feel safe.

Happy Gaming, everyone!

Maya Coleman (xe/xem/they/them)
Community and Social Media Specialist