Hi friends, Congresswoman Deborah Ross here. Today, we honor and observe Juneteenth, the oldest continuous celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Today marks the 159th anniversary of freedom for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, which came two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. And today also marks three years since Juneteenth was officially made a federal holiday in the United States. I am incredibly proud to have helped pass legislation in 2021 to finally recognize Juneteenth federally.

Juneteenth is not only a day to celebrate and rejoice, but also to recommit to repairing our unjust system every single day of the year — from reproductive health care to voting rights to the future of our democracy. We still have so much work ahead of us, and the fight for fairness, equality, and progress will never stop.

I promise to never stop fighting for justice and the rights of all people. I will continue to push for economic security and social mobility for all people. I will work with anyone and everyone to create meaningful legislation that gets to the root of systemic racism in this country.

As we reflect today, we all must pay attention to this moment — we must understand that it’s on all of us to achieve progress and deliver real justice for Black Americans.

I hope you will join me in committing to that fight.

Thank you,

Deborah