Friends -
On this day in 1865 — more than two full years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed — word reached the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas that they were free.
Juneteenth is a day not only to join together and celebrate the liberation of Black Americans, but to reflect on our nation’s history, and recognize the great deal of work that lies ahead in the struggle for freedom, liberty, and justice for all.
Today I am remembering and honoring all of the people who suffered the horrors of slavery, and who fought and died to abolish it.
Who lived through reconstruction, the era of Jim Crow laws, and who organized the civil rights movement.
And who, to this day, are on the frontlines in the fight to end racist voting laws, zoning regulations, housing discrimination, police brutality, criminal justice policies, and so much more.
The truth is that until our country faces its history, confronts it head-on and with clear eyes, and takes tremendous steps forward toward justice, we can never truly progress.
We must continue to advocate, organize, and yes — fight — for policies that advance the cause of freedom and begin to heal the racial, environmental, social, and economic injustices that disproportionately impact Black people to this day, in New York and across the country.
This Juneteenth and every other day, we must re-commit ourselves to that fight.
Thank you for reading,
Alessandra
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