Friend,

Juneteenth has got to be about more than just a single day of celebration.

Freedom in this country has got to be something we celebrate – something we reflect on and continuously fight for – beyond just a single day. 

Collectively, we must get in a state of mind that if this country is going to call itself the land of the free, then we have to ensure that freedom doesn't just extend to ourselves – but to all people. 

That's why voting rights are on my mind today, friend. Any attack on voting rights is an attack on our freedom – period. And since the 2020 election, extremist Republican legislators have introduced nearly 400 provisions to restrict voting rights. That is nearly 400 unique attacks on the constitutional rights of millions of people.

And let's be real clear about who these shameful efforts to stop certain people from voting impact most of all: Black voters and other voters of color. More than 150 years after the first Freedom Day – when the last group of enslaved people in Texas finally received word of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation – Black Americans are still facing barriers to total freedom and equality.  

So today, friend, ask yourself: Who do we still need to become as a nation, and what's it going to take? What can each of us do? Right now, the For the People Act, which would protect and expand voting rights, is with the Senate. In the face of increased efforts to stop communities of color from voting across our country, it's so, so urgent that we ensure our right to vote.

If you're with me, if you're a believer in freedom and equality for all, then I'm asking you to add your name to my petition urging the Senate to reinstate basic voting rights protections. It's going to take a massive grassroots movement to get this legislation passed and protect voting rights, so please add your name right now.

To all those celebrating, reflecting and taking action this Juneteenth – I'm with you. 

In solidarity,

Val Demings