John,

Today is Juneteenth, which kicks off a massive weekend of action led by the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL).

It’s time to tear down the systems that ended the lives of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and build a just society where Black lives matter. That’s why we’re marching with the Movement for Black Lives this weekend at over 300+ events across the country.

This needs to be the largest uprising for Black lives we’ve seen yet, John. Many people in power are expecting things to “go back to normal,” so all of us need to rise up this weekend and show them that our movement will not fade away. Our demand is clear: Defund the police and invest in community solutions.

In order to make this weekend as large and successful as possible, we’re asking every Women’s Marcher who is able to take action (in person or virtually) to defend Black lives.

This weekend is especially significant, John. Juneteenth is a day that honors Black freedom and Black resistance, and centers Black people’s unique contribution to the struggle for justice in the U.S. It commemorates June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers announced in Texas that all previously enslaved people were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.

This Juneteenth is a rare moment for all our communities to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, and that we won’t tolerate anything less than justice for all people.

We’re taking action this weekend to #DefundThePolice for our collective freedom and for all those who have been attacked by police because of their race or gender identity.

There are over 300+ actions planned so far – and it will take a lot of people showing up and speaking out to continue to push those in power to act. We’ve seen some progress, but now is not the time to slow down.

It’s important we all show up for this fight. So please, check now to see what events are being planned near your community and join us for this historic weekend of action.

Whether you can make it out on the streets or not, we trust that you will do what’s best for you.

The energy is sustained and escalating. The movement for Black Lives is alive and vibrant.

Let’s keep going,

Women’s March Team

We know most of us are not taught about the history of Juneteenth in our schools. A key part of uprooting racism is learning and sharing history, so we wanted to offer these children's books about Juneteenth:

• A Child's Introduction to African American History: The Experiences, People, and Events That Shaped Our Country by Jabari Asim
• Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper
• All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson