'The Ghosts of Slavery Live On'
Countable's Founder, Bart Myers, reflects on Juneteenth in an open letter to the community, noting:
On June 19, 1865, the last remaining enslaved Americans were emancipated. Yet, this painful chapter of our history isn't a relic of the past. The atrocious stain of slavery still remains with us, haunting our present with institutionalized racism and discriminatory policies--it is a somber legacy that remains real and terrifying for so many Americans.
Here are some additional selections from Bart's Juneteenth message:
The realities of being African American in this country are a stark reminder of the disparities that persist. Compared to their peers, Blacks face higher likelihoods of arrest, falling ill, not completing college, and earning less. Most alarmingly, they remain the demographic most susceptible to fatal encounters with police. The echoes of slavery persist in the prison-industrial complex, and in our housing, education, and law enforcement systems that perpetuate racist actions and policies.
As a father, I can’t even imagine the very real fear that African American parents face every day, dreading the thought that their children could be the next to fall victim to an unjust system. The fear is palpable, substantiated by too many tragic incidents. And it’s not just the fear that is real, but the systemic racism on which our country was built.
Read the full letter here, then, as Bart suggests,
Call your representatives, let them know you care, and demand real action. June 19th is the perfect opportunity to honor the legacy of those who came before us by taking action today.
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