Friend –

Juneteenth could not come at a more pivotal moment in our country.

The movement that Black grassroots organizers have been leading for years to end police violence and systemic racism has now amassed unprecedented support, and it could finally be the difference needed to see real, meaningful change.

More than ever, it's up to all of us fighting for racial justice to do our part and one concrete way is through Congress.

Please, join us in commemorating today's holiday through action: Send a message to your representative to demand divestment from policing and a reinvestment in our Black communities.

The tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Riah Milton, Dominique "Rem'Mie" Fells, Rayshard Brooks, Oluwatoyin Salau, and countless other Black people in recent years is one part of a long history of America's entrenched racism.

The first U.S. city police department was a slave patrol. And modern police forces have directed violence at Black people to enforce Jim Crow, wage the War on Drugs, and crack down on protests.

It's clear: The destruction of Black lives and communities has continued long after slavery. And it goes far deeper than policing – from disparities in healthcare and education to intentional voter suppression to the COVID-19 pandemic that has magnified these inequities.

We are centuries late in making the bold, structural changes that are needed to permanently address systemic racism in our country. But right now, we have the momentum to make a meaningful shift happen.

Take action today by calling on federal lawmakers to do what's right: Demand Congress divest from our entrenched, racist, and violent policing systems.

Thank you for being a part of the fight,

Kanya Bennett
ACLU Senior Legislative Counsel