“For me, and I’m sure for many, there is an inherent tension in Juneteenth celebrations. We should rightly celebrate the freedom won and the people who fought for it, the progress made and victories secured. And at the same time, we have to acknowledge not only injustices still uncorrected, but the ways that those in power are seeking to undo the progress of decades.
“The powerful have mounted an all-out effort to erase the history and strip away the rights of Black Americans. From ignoring this very holiday to the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act and racist gerrymandering, this White House and its allies pretend – wish – that Black America did not exist.
“In that context, our celebration today is an act of defiance and statement of purpose.
“Enslaved people in Texas did not learn of their freedom until two years after it had been declared. Black Americans today are still waiting for true liberation, that which tears down systems of injustice propped up by the powerful.
“A country founded on freedom failed to truly deliver it to all Americans – not only through 1865, but throughout its history. As we mark one holiday based on the idea of freedom, and approach another, I’m led to paraphrase Frederick Douglass’ enduring question:
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