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Dear John,
My name is Jacob Milton, and I am one of the National Youth Directors for the 2024 Marianne Williamson Presidential campaign. As a mixed-race man, being both of African and Irish descent, I am honored to share with you what Juneteenth means to me. Whether you are Black, White, Latino, Asian, or another race I want to wish you a Happy Juneteenth. I hope by the end of this message you will feel empowered to celebrate Juneteenth as a holiday that unites all Americans.
As you may know, the first African people were forcibly brought to the United States of America in 1619. Their descendants would continue to be enslaved for more than 240 years before President Lincoln abolished chattel slavery with the stroke of a pen.
That’s where we usually end the story of slavery, though in truth not all were released from captivity in 1863 – that would take two additional years. On June 19th, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to find the last enslaved people – nearly a quarter million Americans – and tell them they were free from the chains that held them all their lives. And that is why we celebrate Juneteenth.
We celebrate the country and leadership that was brave enough to correct its mistakes of putting people in chains, the men who traveled for miles to inform those enslaved that they were no longer. And above all, we celebrate and honor the men, women, and children who were finally able to live as Sethe in Toni Morrison’s book Beloved, and “wake up in the morning and decide for [themselves] what to do with the day."
Race remains a topic that some struggle to talk about, some avoid altogether, and others (like myself) plead for conversation and action on healing between the races.
Even my own family has had a hard time talking about race in America. Through the years, as I grew and leaned into my Black history they became fearful that I didn’t love them as much because they were fully white. As if my two shades darker skin, new-found knowledge of Black history, and my call for racial equity meant that I wasn’t still the little boy they raised from birth.
It’s taken years, and many vulnerable conversations together, but my family now understands that my advocacy for equitable rights for Black Americans does not take the Irish-red-tinted-hair off of my head, the freckles off of my cheeks, or the love I have for them out of my heart. In fact, it’s actually my advocacy for all Americans to be treated equitably that has strengthened my relationship with my family.
Today they send me articles, donate to causes, and speak with their friends about racial injustices. The same people who struggled to have conversations on race with me just years ago are now the ones who have greeted me first thing in the morning for the past few Juneteenths with a joyful “Happy Juneteenth”. It’s their way of saying, “I see that part of you comes from ancestors who were enslaved; and a people that too often today are made to feel less than human.” It also says to me, “I want you to know I see you as human and nothing less. I understand that this day is significant for you and I will always love you even if I can’t fully understand the weight of the history.”
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Left: Me, age 10, and my grandfather. Right: Me at the Lincoln Memorial in 2023
I know that talking about race can still be uncomfortable for my family and yet they continue to be willing to educate themselves, listen, be vulnerable and uncomfortable because they love me and because it’s the right thing to do.
These experiences led me to search for people who were out there doing the right thing when it wasn’t easy or popular. And that’s how I found Marianne Williamson.
Marianne has been a guide for the millions of people around the world who read her books, listen to her talks, attend her seminars, and seek her counsel. I know, because I am one of them. And her commitment to always doing the right, moral thing is why I joined her campaign.
I’ve followed Marianne’s work for nearly 10 years now. I know that she is the best choice for President. As Marianne has said, “All that a nation is is a group of individuals. If you know what touches the heart of an individual, you know what touches the heart of a nation.” And she has already touched the hearts of millions of individuals.
Like my family, I hope that you, too, will help bridge the racial divide that continues to oppress Black Americans today. I hope that this Juneteenth will be the year you wish those around you a Happy Juneteenth. But right at this moment, I hope that you will do all you can to help elect Marianne Williamson President of the United States of America.
Whether you help by lending your skills to the campaign as a volunteer [[link removed]] , lending your space to host a campaign event, donating to the campaign to build our movement [[link removed]] , or really talking with your friends, family, and community about the America we could have under a Williamson Administration – every bit of participation matters.
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With gratitude,
Jacob Milton
National Youth Director
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