June 17, 2023
Dear Friends,
This weekend, we will come together to mark a triumphant moment in our nation’s history. We unite in commemorating the eradication of the vile institution of slavery in the United States.
The celebration of Juneteenth dates back to 1865 when, on June 19th—months after the Civil War ended and years after President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Emancipation Proclamation abolishing slavery in the South—Union General Gordon Granger marched his troops into Galveston, Texas and declared, “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
That declaration freed more than a quarter of a million Black Americans from bondage, and since the very first anniversary of General Granger’s address, was celebrated annually by the people of Galveston. While far from the first declaration ending slavery, the tradition of celebrating on June 19th spread throughout the nation, becoming the most prevalent of abolition celebrations. And in 2021, I proudly joined my colleagues to pass the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act to at long last federally recognize one of the most powerful days in our history, ensuring this day of both jubilant celebration and truthful, sometimes painful reflection is forever enshrined in our lives.
As we celebrate this triumph of justice over injustice and of freedom over bondage, we also know that we still have much work ahead to reckon with the legacies of slavery, systemic racism, and racial violence that has remained stubbornly rooted in our most powerful institutions.
Across the decades since the abolition of slavery, a linchpin in the push for equality has been in strengthening voting rights.
In the era of Jim Crow, states and politicians adopted racist policies and implemented barriers to strip Black Americans of their fundamental right to vote. Today, the successor of those laws comes in the form of gerrymandering, in which politicians manipulate district boundaries to favor their party. And too often, those drawn lines hurt communities of color.
Such was the case with the recent Supreme Court decision, Allen v. Milligan where, in a surprise but welcome ruling, the Court upheld a critical aspect of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, determining that Alabama officials diluted Black communities’ voting power in their forming of congressional districts, and mandating that they now must redraw the state maps.
This decision is a triumph against gerrymandering and the attempt to suppress the votes of Black communities. But let’s not fool ourselves, we cannot count on SCOTUS to uphold these fundamental rights. Not when a decade earlier, they butchered the very Voting Rights Act that would have prevented this egregious gerrymandering in the first place.
We don’t just need a rehash of the status quo; we need to strengthen our voting laws and continue advocating for fair elections that are the fulcrum of our democracy and essential to our basic rights and freedoms as Americans.
Amidst this ongoing struggle towards justice and equality, let us take solace in the promise of Juneteenth, which reminds us of the importance of remembering our past and dares to hope for a brighter future. Frederick Douglass said, “If there is no struggle there is no progress.” That struggle is at the feet of every one of us now, and we must rise to meet its challenge.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- I was proud to join my colleagues last year in passing the historic Honoring our PACT Act that finally expands access to care for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances in the line of duty.
- Recently, Veterans Affairs joined the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) on to discuss PACT Act benefits eligibility for individuals exposed to toxins during their service
- That conversation can be viewed HERE.
- Additionally, the VA created a landing page to help veterans and their families answer questions about the PACT Act and sign up for benefits.
- On this page, veterans and their loved ones can file a claim for benefits, learn whether their illness is a presumptive condition covered under the PACT Act, find information about toxic exposure screenings, and much more.
- You can visit the landing page HERE.
- If you have additional questions about veterans’ benefits or your eligibility for PACT Act-related disability compensation, please call the VA at 1-800-698-2411 or my office at 518-465-0700.
