On this day 156 years ago -- more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law -- the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were finally free.

Today is a day to commemorate the freedom of our Black and Brown Americans, and this year, it takes on a magnified meaning, as our government has made Juneteenth a national holiday going forward.

While we should celebrate this day, we also must acknowledge continued injustices our country faces:

• Voter roll purges still overwhelmingly impact Black and Brown communities.


• People of color are still the targets of unfair treatment in many of our institutions, including in criminal justice and in medicine.


• Republican politicians are all-too-willing to use race-baiting language to divide us and discriminate against our marginalized communities.

Juneteenth is a celebration of the strength and resilience of Black and Brown communities in this country, but celebration is not enough. We’ve got a long way to go, and we must keep fighting for justice and true equality.

Thank you,

Phil