Today we honor and observe Juneteenth, the oldest continuous celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

This marks the 158th anniversary of freedom for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, which came two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth is not only a day to celebrate and rejoice, but also to recommit to promoting justice and equality.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has been under attack for decades in the courts. While the Supreme Court reaffirmed much of the law’s remaining authority over racially biased maps by ruling that Alabama’s congressional map illegally limits Black voters, the North Carolina Supreme Court recently cleared the way for aggressive partisan gerrymandering that favors the GOP.

From voting rights to education to health care and more, in the wake of these decisions it’s clear that we still have so much work ahead of us – and the fight for justice and equality cannot rest.

My promise to you is that I’ll never stop fighting for justice and the rights of all people.

I will continue to push for economic security and social mobility for all people. I will work with anyone and everyone to create meaningful legislation that gets to the root of systemic racism in this country.

As we reflect today, we all must pay attention to this moment – we must understand that it’s on all of us to achieve progress and deliver real justice for all Americans.

I hope you will join me in recommitting to that fight.

Thank you,
Deborah