Boston – Cruz Companies, one of the country’s oldest and largest Black-owned construction and real estate enterprises, has announced its support and involvement in a range of regional initiatives and community activities on the occasion of Juneteenth.
Honoring the end of slavery in the United States and celebrating culture, history and pride for Black communities across the country, Cruz Companies is marking Juneteenth by adding to its legacy of core business initiatives that drive action and change by advancing diversity across the real estate and construction industries. Cruz Companies also commemorates Juneteenth 2023 with an expanded commitment to heritage organizations and local advocacy groups, highlighting the tremendous contributions of Black-led organizations and enterprises.
John B. Cruz III (l) and his son Justin Cruz, who has joined him in the business (In photo: John B. Cruz III (l) with his father, John B. Cruz, Jr.)
“Juneteenth offers a meaningful and memorable occasion to reaffirm our beliefs about real estate development and construction for the advancement of housing, betterment of communities, and mentorship of tomorrow’s leaders,” said Justin Cruz, chief operating officer of Cruz Companies. “Investments in new housing, from Massachusetts to Maryland, should provide economic opportunities for the people in every community,” he added, including increasing affordable housing offerings, creating opportunity for area residents and other minority businesses, and making cities and towns more sustainable through economic development.
Through Cruz CARES (Community, Arts, Recreational and Educational Services), the Cruz Companies social responsibility arm, the organization has also elevated a range of new commitments for 2023 in honor of Juneteenth. They include sponsoring the annual Juneteenth Celebration at Franklin Park, also known as the Roxbury Homecoming, which has been celebrated since 1996. The June 17 open-air event draws thousands of residents and visitors for barbecue, music and dancing, and reminiscing about decades of history in Roxbury, the neighborhood often called “the heart of Black culture in Boston.”
Other area programs slated for Cruz CARES in 2023 include a resident Thanksgiving dinner at a Cruz property for seniors, the 41-unit Sarah Baker Manor Apartments, and distribution of holiday turkey and ham gift bags at two other affordable housing locations, the Wayne at Franklin Hill apartments and the Taurus Apartments.
“In all our work, we believe in contributing to better business ecosystems that break down the structural obstacles today’s Black business owners continue to face today,” said John B. Cruz III, CEO of Cruz Companies. “On Juneteenth, we take this occasion as an opportunity to reflect and to restate our enduring commitment to community-focused businesses, which allow for wealth creation for those enterprises as well as for the many people who work with them.”
