President & CEO Cheryl McKissack Daniel of McKissack & McKissack, along with her twin sister President & CEO Deryl McKissack of McKissack and McKissack Washington, Inc., will discuss the roles and contributions their ancestors played in building America and how they are continuing the legacy more than five generations later in ABC News’ “Juneteenth: Together We Triumph.” The broadcast will air on Friday, June 18 (9:01-11:00pm EDT), on ABC and the next day on Hulu.
Award-winning Senior National correspondent Steve Osunsami delves into the lives of this multigenerational Black family who defied the odds in navigating generations of systemic racism and to honor the hard work and sacrifice their ancestors endured by continuing to build upon their family’s legacy as the nation’s oldest Black-owned design and construction firm. Dating back 115+ years, McKissack & McKissack descends from a long lineage of architects and builders that began with an enslaved Ashanti ancestor in 1790.
“Juneteenth is particularly important to my family,” states Ms. McKissack Daniel. “The uncompromising fortitude my forefathers exuded post enslavement to build many of the nation’s monuments (i.e., churches, military bases, colleges/universities, schools, hospitals, etc.) brick by brick, immortalizes Black Excellence and my twin sister and I are proud to carry on the torch with our respective work adding to our family’s legacy.”
Presiding over the family’s century old business, Ms. McKissack Daniel currently employs 150+ people and has managed more than $50 billion in construction projects over the past decade, including major work in commercial, healthcare, education and transportation, most notably Coney Island Hospital, The New Terminal One at JFK, the World Trade Center Oculus, and many more.
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