Today, we mark Juneteenth—a celebration of freedom and a solemn reminder of how long justice was delayed for so many.

It took more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, to learn they were free. And while Juneteenth honors that moment of liberation, it also challenges us to confront the ongoing struggle for racial justice in our country.

That struggle continues.

As your Attorney General, I’ve made it a priority to not only recognize disparities but to do something about them.

• We created the Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative, which recently released a report titled Breaking the 71%, addressing the staggering overrepresentation of Black Marylanders in our prison system and offering real, actionable solutions.
• We established a Civil Rights Division to proactively tackle systemic discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations.
• And we launched the Office of Equity, Policy, and Engagement to ensure that fairness and inclusion are woven into the fabric of our legal system.

These efforts reflect the spirit of Juneteenth—not just in recognizing how far we’ve come, but in committing to the work that remains.

So today, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating this milestone in freedom. And I hope you’ll join me in continuing the fight for justice, dignity, and equity for all Marylanders.

All the best,

Anthony Brown