Google Earth An insurance agency in Millinocket, Maine, is reacting to the internet after a photo was posted on Facebook of a sign stuck on the door of the company on Monday saying: “Juneteenth ~ it’s whatever … We are closed. Enjoy your fried chicken and vegetables . ” The sign on the Harry E Reed Insurance Agency, a subsidiary of the national insurance company Progressive, was first shared by a Facebook user named Alura Stillwagon, with the caption “racism in Millinocket is real”. The original post has been shared more than 100 times. “I’m not angry. Anger leads you nowhere. I’m deeply, deeply disappointed,” another Facebook user, Ken Anderson, commented on the post. “In this business, in the companies that let this business mediate their products, and in Millinocket, in the state of Maine and throughout the accursed country. Deeply disappointed. Why? Because I know we can do better. But we” try. And that’s the part that cuts deepest. “ For many businesses, Monday marked the observance of the Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating June 19, 1865, when Union Army soldiers arrived in Texas and announced the end of slavery to more than 250,000 blacks who were still enslaved. the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Ever since the billboard image went viral on the Internet, people have visited the Yelp online review site to condemn the insurance company, forcing Yelp to disable users’ ability to post on the company’s page. “This business has recently received a lot of public attention, resulting in a flurry of people posting their views on this page, so we have temporarily disabled posting here as we work to explore the content,” a notice on Insurance Yelp Harry E Reed Service page reads. “While racism has no place in Yelp and we categorically reject racism or discrimination in any form, all reviews of Yelp should reflect a true consumer experience first hand (even if it means disabling users’ ability to express themselves). views, we can agree with). “ The agency received almost 90 – largely one star – Yelp reviews, with many posters condemning the insurance company as “racist”. “We are aware of this and are terrified of the sign recently published in the Harry E Reed agency, and we are ending our relationship with the service,” Progressive spokesman Jeff Simbel said in a statement. At Progressive, Diversity, Equality and Integration (DEI) are fundamental to our core values. We are committed to creating an environment where our people are welcomed, valued and respected and we expect anyone who represents Progressive to take part in it. “The mark directly violates this commitment and is not in line with our Company’s Core Values and Code of Conduct,” Sibel said in a statement. Millinocket City Council President Steve Golieb issued a statement Tuesday denouncing the trademark. “It is deeply saddening, shameful and unacceptable for any individual, business or organization to attempt to shed light on June and what it represents for millions of slaves and their living descendants,” Golieb’s said. “There is no place in Millinocket City for such blatant contempt for human dignity.” The insurance company did not respond to requests for comment. President Joe Biden and the state of Maine signed bills in June 2021 recognizing June as a federal and state holiday.
