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Juneteenth should have come much sooner. Indivisibles,
156 years ago today, slaves in Galveston, Texas, heard this order, telling them they had been freed from bondage:
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“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.” —General Orders, Number 3; Headquarters District of Texas, Galveston, June 19, 1865
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The infuriating irony of Juneteenth is that, like the rest of Black liberation in this country, it should have come much sooner. President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law more than two and a half years before General Order Number 3 was released. Robert E. Lee had surrendered a month before. Lincoln -- the “executive” in the first line -- was already dead.
Two days ago, President Biden signed a bill into law making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Black activists have been working for this for years: check out this article to learn about the history of their activism and this essay Rep. Jamaal Bowman penned last year on why establishing the holiday is important. Today we’re celebrating this victory in the long fight to remember our history.
Like the event it commemorates, this recognition took far too long, but that doesn’t dilute the sweetness of winning the fight. Still, it’s infuriating that 14 republicans voted against even establishing the holiday, driving home the point that this acknowledgment is a step towards justice, not an end point. As Rep. Bowman said in his powerful speech after the bill passed:
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“We must not stop here. We must continue to go forward to fight for racial justice, because in many parts of our country, [injustice] still exists in the form of housing discrimination and segregation, lack of access to healthcare, wealth inequality... we must, we have to, come together across party lines to do much more.” - Rep. Jamaal Bowman
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This Juneteenth -- the very first Juneteenth National Independence Day -- we’re once more committing ourselves to the work of ending systemic oppression of Black people in today’s America. Here are a few things you can do this weekend and beyond to commit to this work, as a Black person or as an ally:
- Black and other POC Indivisibles can join the Indivisible POC Caucus’s monthly meetings - the next one is June 22. In this space, POC staff and activists talk and connect around issues that directly affect us, the work that we do, and the world in which we try to create lasting change. Please note that this is a space specifically for people of color and indigenous group leaders and members.
- If you missed it last summer or want a refresher, check out our workshop on acting as an ally in the fight for racial justice. How do Indivisibles talk within our groups about and amidst national moments of reckoning? This mini-training will teach you how to use the fundamentals of relational organizing to escalate white folks and non-black people of color from allies to accomplices, both in casual conversations and in concrete anti-racist steps within our communities.
- Today, our partners at Black Voters Matter are kicking off a “Freedom Ride” bus tour from New Orleans to Washington, D.C., to fight for voting rights. Read Essence’s excellent write-up of the events, and then click here to learn more and find an event near you.
- Call your Member of Congress and Senators and tell them to support H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, and S.1, the For the People Act. These are both crucial democracy reform bills that will protect against racist voter suppression tactics, strengthen our electoral system as a whole, and move us closer to a more inclusive, multiracial democracy.
- Read, learn and enjoy: Activism is important, but we also want to take time to celebrate and enjoy the many contributions of Black Americans. This week at Indivisible National HQ in honor of Pride Month and Juneteenth Week, the Black and Queer caucuses have teamed up to share reflections, resources, and celebrations on the contributions of Black and Queer people. We’ve talked about the experiences of Black, gay ballet dancers, and reveled in the beauty of Alvin Ailey’s Revelations and Billy Porter in Kinky Boots. We watched Changing the Game, a 2019 documentary on the experiences of trans high school athletes and had a seminar with Lazarus Letcher, an American Studies scholar focused on Black and Indigenous liberation, and queer and trans studies. We shared some of our favorite books from Black queer authors, including James Baldwin’s "Notes on a Native Son", Octavia Butler’s "Parable of the Sower," and Langston Hughes’s "Montage of a Dream Deferred". We encourage you to engage with these resources, uplift this art, and share what else you’re watching, listening to, and reading on social media.
We hope you’ll take time today to both acknowledge how far we have to go to achieve justice in this country, and also celebrate the progress we’ve made and the incredible contributions of Black Americans.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team 
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