John,
Today is Juneteenth — a celebration of Black freedom in America. It also commemorates when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas actually learned they were freed from slavery in 1865. All across the country, Black communities are coming together to celebrate our culture, our history, and our victories.
We must take this opportunity to recognize that those who do not remember and repair the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them.
This is only the third year Juneteenth is a Federal holiday after more than a century and a half of pushing for recognition. John, we cannot afford to wait another century and a half for reparations to start to undo the legacy of slavery in our society.
Today, Black people continue to bear the harms of slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism — from the Black-white wealth gap, to escalating violence against Black people, to continued discrimination in our justice system and political institutions.
That's why I'm signing on to Rep. Cori Bush's Reparations Now Resolution, which recognizes the federal government's responsibility to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and the continued harm the government has inflicted upon millions of Black people.
For centuries, Black people and our allies have continued to stand up and speak out against political, economic, and other forms of discrimination that have kept us from achieving true racial justice. And in broad parts of our society — health care, housing policy, the war on drugs, voting rights, policing, employment, too many to name — anti-Black injustice remains systemic.
As an educator, I know how important celebrations like Juneteenth can be to mark where we've been and where we must continue to strive to be. So to dismantle racism and injustice entirely, we have to do more — and that necessary next step is enacting reparations. Please add your name if you agree: We need reparations now.
This Juneteenth, I urge all of us all to take a moment and reaffirm ourselves to the fight for true freedom, justice, and equality for all people. Thank you for fighting alongside me and the millions of activists who are standing strong in our values today.
Peace and love 🫶🏿
Jamaal Bowman
