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John,

Today is Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when military orders finally began enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, more than two months after the end of the Civil War. It’s a day with special resonance in 2020, as we continue to confront the legacy of racism in our nation and its institutions.

Last week, as protests against racism occurred across the country, President Trump announced that he would stage a campaign rally on, of all days, Juneteenth. And of all cities, he chose Tulsa, Oklahoma -- the site of the Greenwood Massacre, which took place 99 years ago this month when white mobs killed more than 200 Black residents and looted and burned their thriving neighborhood of Greenwood.

After vocal objections from the public, the president delayed his campaign rally for one day -- later saying he was unaware of Juneteenth. The incident is a reminder that we need to more fully and forcefully confront our history, and take action.

I believe the road to racial justice runs through the heart of Greenwood. And I wanted to share with you an editorial I wrote about why coming to terms with the history of Greenwood is so important to the future of our country:

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-06-19/mike-bloomberg-road-to-racial-justice-runs-through-tulsa

I first became aware of Greenwood's history when the city of Tulsa applied for a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies for a public art project raising awareness about Greenwood. Like nearly all Americans, I was never taught about Greenwood in school, and we were honored to become supporters of Tulsa's efforts to raise awareness about it.

During my campaign, I returned to Tulsa to launch the Greenwood Initiative -- an ambitious agenda to triple Black wealth, double the number of Black-owned businesses, and increase the number of Black homeowners by 1 million.

I remain deeply committed to principles of our Greenwood Initiative, and since March, my foundation has been working to bring it to life philanthropically.

You can read more about our Greenwood Initiative, and why I believe it's so important, in the editorial I wrote today:

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-06-19/mike-bloomberg-road-to-racial-justice-runs-through-tulsa

Thanks,

Mike Bloomberg

P.S. -- If you'd like to know more about Greenwood, take a look at this video: https://youtu.be/OOtpfpqEwxo