On June 19, 1865 — 156 years ago today — Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and declared that slavery was finally over.

The formerly enslaved people of Galveston erupted in joy. Ever since, today has been known as Juneteenth: the annual and oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

This year, for the first time, it’s an official federal holiday, too — passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden this week.

I’m very happy that Juneteenth is finally getting the official recognition it deserves. It’s a chance to tell the story of how even in the face of oppression, Black Americans throughout our history have never stopped imagining and fighting for a better tomorrow. Not just for themselves, but for our entire nation.

Of course, it isn’t enough to get together and celebrate how far we’ve come. We have to get together and see how far we need to go.

Just look back at the history: On that first Juneteenth, it had been over two years since President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation — but freedom on paper doesn’t always mean freedom in practice.

Today, we have to recommit ourselves to rooting out systemic racism in every aspect of our economy and society — including health care, housing, education, banking, policing, and voting.

Over a year into a nationwide racial reckoning, we still have to confront white supremacy in all of its forms. We must cement the unshakeable truth that Black lives matter.

I understand the responsibility that I and others have as white Americans to ask what we are doing to dismantle a system that has too often undervalued Black life. We cannot just be allies. We must be actively anti-racist. We have to fight alongside everyone who’s still waiting for justice.

That’s what I’m remembering today as we honor Juneteenth.

- Elizabeth

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