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Friend, today on Juneteenth we celebrate the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Though many people believe that slavery ended on January 1st, 1863, it was actually on June 19th, 1865 that the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Texas, freeing the last slaves.
However, we know that slavery did not truly end there. Loopholes in the 13th Amendment allow for the forced labor of incarcerated people. Today, this has led to mass incarceration that deeply affects Black and Brown people in this country.
Earlier this week, I issued an Executive Order in Holyoke declaring racism and police violence to be matters of public health that constitute a public health emergency.
We know this to be true from the events that have unfolded this year, and the overwhelming violence we've seen for decades against Black people by the hands of law enforcement.
Recognizing our past allows us to be better informed in the present. Our movement will continue to fight for Black lives and uphold the dignity of every person. All lives cannot matter until Black lives matter.
Add your name to call for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday, and let us remember the history that brought us to where we are at this moment today.
In solidarity,
Alex
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