Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States -- the day when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to announce that the Civil War was over and declare that the last enslaved people were finally free.

Juneteenth is a time for us to reflect on the legacy of systemic racism that still exists today and the horrible crime of slavery in our country.

The fight for justice and equality did not end on this historic day 155 years ago. As we mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and countless other Black lives lost, we must do better. We must demand change.

We must demand change of a criminal justice system that disproportionately incarcerates and kills Black Americans. We must demand change of a healthcare system where Black mothers are three to four times more likely to die from issues during pregnancy than white mothers. We must demand change of an education system where our schools go underfunded and Black and brown students are left behind.

I’m inspired by the brave activists we’re seeing in Michigan and across the country today who are coming together to demand change. When we stand together, when we listen, when we fight for one another -- I am confident there is nothing we can’t accomplish.

Juneteenth should be a national holiday, a reminder of our history and the work we have left ahead of us to realize equality and justice for every American. I am proud to co-sponsor a resolution from my colleague, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

I will never give up the fight for equality and justice. I hope you won’t either.

Yours,

Haley Stevens
Congresswoman, MI -11