Folks — Today is Juneteenth, the national holiday where we commemorate the end of slavery in America. It was today, in 1865 that Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas informing the area of the end of the Civil War, and that all the enslaved Africans were now free.

While the events of June 19th, 1865 are important, you and I know that freedom was more complicated than that. Newly freed Black Americans were still subject to extreme racial violence, overt discrimination, and prejudiced policy that continues to affect us to this day.

Things didn’t get better the moment Gen. Granger read General Orders No. 3 to the formerly enslaved in Galveston, Texas. The fight for freedom continues to be an intense struggle across the United States.

We’re fighting to close wealth gaps, expand the right to vote, and ensure that everyone has access to a clean and safe environment to live in, no matter what their zip code is, or what they look like.

This Juneteenth, let’s remember that the fight is far from over. We’ve come a long way from 1865, but we’ve still not reached the full potential of America.

Team Clarke is working towards an America that values Black life fully — which means communities where our children have the opportunity to grow and thrive, live free from over-policing and have access to basic necessities like clean air and drinking water. 

Thank you for fighting for a better tomorrow with us, folks — have a happy Juneteenth.

— Team Clarke