Happy Juneteenth, john!

Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in America. On June 19th, 1865, a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, which freed the last enslaved Americans.

It’s never been more important to recognize our history and commemorate the end of the dark stain of slavery — especially as MAGA Republicans and school boards across the country are trying to erase the importance of the struggle for Black liberation. Try as they might, they will not wipe away the hard work and persistent fight for freedom.

Today we remember the countless Black activists who have fought for recognition of Juneteenth, but especially Ms. Opal Lee, known as the grandmother of Juneteenth. In 2016, at 89 she walked from her home in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, bringing with her a petition supporting the creation of a federal holiday in celebration of Juneteenth.

I felt a duty to heed her call. I was the leading co-sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which President Biden signed into law in his first year in office and makes today a nationally recognized federal holiday.

After this bill passed the Senate, I had the opportunity to call Ms. Lee. When I told her the good news, the sound of the joy in her voice is a memory I will treasure for the rest of my life.

So while we celebrate today, let this also be a moment of rededication to the cause of racial justice.

Let us all work diligently toward the systemic change Black people deserve and need — like protecting voting rights and safeguarding our democracy, passing meaningful policing and criminal justice reform, pursuing economic and environmental justice, and working towards a more just and equitable world.

I know that lately, the path to justice has felt impossibly long. But even in the darkest moments — let us draw inspiration and strength from the example of these heroes like Ms. Lee, and work together for a future of equity and justice for all.

Thank you,

Tina