A growing number of Juneteenth events across the U.S. are being scaled back or canceled as local governments and companies retreat from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives—a broader trend that critics say reflects growing public fatigue with corporate activism.

In Denver, one of the country’s largest Juneteenth celebrations was forced to slash its programming after more than a dozen corporate sponsors pulled out. Norman Harris, executive director of the Juneteenth Music Festival, said:

“There were quite a few sponsors who pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year,” said Harris, who has overseen the event for more than a decade.

The two-day event in the city’s historic Five Points neighborhood was cut to just one day. Harris added:

“Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy.”

It’s not just Denver. In West Virginia, Juneteenth events were canceled altogether, with the governor’s office citing financial strain. The announcement followed Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s signing of legislation to eliminate all DEI programs statewide. His office said:

“Due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia, state government will not be sponsoring any formal activities,” deputy press secretary Drew Galang said in an email.

In Scottsdale, Arizona, the city council dissolved its DEI office earlier this year, leading to the cancellation of its Juneteenth festival. In Colorado Springs, organizers say dwindling sponsorships forced major cuts. Jennifer Smith, a planner for the Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival, noted that:

Around five companies sponsored the event this year, compared to dozens in years prior, Smith said.

“They have said their budgets have been cut because of DEI,” and that they can no longer afford it, she said.

In Bend, Oregon, planners cited political tensions for pulling the plug entirely and said it was due to:

“An increasingly volatile political climate.”

Federal cuts haven’t helped either. The National Endowment for the Arts pulled funding from dozens of organizations in May, including a $25,000 grant for the Cooper Family Foundation, which puts on San Diego’s largest Juneteenth event. Foundation leader Marla Cooper said:

“That’s $25,000 we have to figure out how we’re going to pay for,” Cooper said.

“We will always have Juneteenth. And we will work it out,” she said.

As companies abandon Pride Month sponsorships and federal DEI programs get bulldozed under President Trump’s return, the era of performative corporate virtue-signaling is collapsing in real time. The message is clear: the checkbooks are closed, the slogans are stale, and Americans aren’t buying what the DEI-industrial complex is selling anymore.

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