Happy Juneteenth, John.

I hope you’re feeling the joy that I am today.

Joy that we are able to celebrate this federal holiday thanks to the tireless efforts of dedicated activists, advocates, and organizers across this nation.

Joy for our ancestors who struggled and sacrificed without ever knowing that a day like this to recognize our journey would ever be guaranteed.

Joy for the first Supreme Court term of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to sit in that seat — a culmination of centuries of struggle that are still today just coming to bear the fruits of the toil and sacrifice that brought us here.

I feel joy knowing that our future is bright, that for many Americans, especially Black and Brown Americans, that as we continue to do the work, to struggle for progress that still desperately needs to be made, that we can see the results of that hard work on this day and know the part we have played to make it so.

And John, no one is going to steal my joy.

If you’re feeling the joy that I am, share it with me:

With love and gratitude for this day, and the ancestors who have brought us here,

Cory