This week in DC: The Juneteenth Bill passed, but there's still work to be done to achieve comprehensive justice for African Americans.

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Issue 31: Friday, 25 June 2021

THIS WEEK IN DC — 'We Have A Deal’: Biden Agrees to Bipartisan Infrastructure Compromise; U.S. Planning to Evacuate Thousands of Interpreters from Afghanistan; Biden Nominates Cindy McCain As Ambassador to UN Food Agency; Supreme Court Rules to Protect Student's Free Speech Rights; Kamala Harris is Set to Visit Border; U.S. Announces Historic Investigation into ‘Unspoken Traumas’ at Native American Boarding Schools; Court Declines to Expand Police Power to Enter Home Without Warrant; Senate GOP Blocks Voting Rights Bill; Record 300,000 Gun Sales Blocked By Background Checks Last Year; Senate Panel Discusses Legislation On Statehood for Washington, D.C.; White House Says the U.S. Will Narrowly Miss its Vaccination Goal; Iran's Hardline President-elect Ebrahim Raisi Says He Will Not Meet With Biden; Biden Weighs Ban On China’s Solar Material Over Forced Labor; Israel Allows Some Exports, Hamas Demands More Amid Fragile Truce; Deeply Catholic Biden at Odds With Many Catholic Bishops; Israel
Refusing to Let Palestinian Passports Into or Out of Gaza Forcing Cancellation of Thousands of Urgent Trips.

IN THIS ISSUE
* Featured Issue: Juneteenth Is Now a Federal Holiday, So What Do We Do Next?
* Israel Breaks Fragile Ceasefire in Yet Another Violation of Human Rights Law
* Palestine: Share your Story
* Israel/Palestine Legislative Tracker

FEATURED ISSUE
Juneteenth Emancipation Day Celebration in Texas on June 19, 1900.
AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER, AUSTIN PUBLIC LIBRARY


** Juneteenth Is Now a Federal Holiday, So What Do We Do Next?
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By: Katrina Hasan Hamilton, Councilmember, MPAC’s AAMIC

After more than six years of Congresswoman Jackson Lee’s work and advocacy to make Juneteenth a nationally recognized holiday, the 117th Congress of the United States of America, passed S. 475 Juneteenth National Independence Day, making it the 12th federal holiday celebrated in the United States. Congresswoman Jackson proudly stated that “Juneeteenth is the living symbol of Lincoln’s promise that this nation, under God, ‘would have a new birth of freedom’”.

As we thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson (D-TX 18) — who we absolutely respect — Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) for leading the effort, we must also understand that recognizing June 19th, 1865 is just the tip of the iceberg. African Americans have been patient for hundreds of years and all of the holidays in the world cannot and will not take the place of an official apology from the United States government.
Read full article ([link removed]) → ([link removed])


EMILY BI/SENIOR STAFF


** Israel Breaks Fragile Ceasefire in Yet Another Violation of Human Rights Law
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By: MPAC Policy Interns, Maryam Alwan, Leela Cullity, Hesham Jarmakani, and Mohammad Qazwini

The United Nations classifies human rights as: “rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.” When the world looks towards the abuses carried out by the Israeli state against the Palestinian people, we see the gross violation of many of those rights outlined by the UN.

Palestinians were denied the right to life when they were brutally murdered by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). They were denied the right to liberty when their citizenship was revoked and they could not flee from the terror through legal means. They were denied freedom from torture when little children had to watch their parents, siblings, uncles, and aunts be murdered before their eyes, leaving them alone in this world.

Many have stopped advocating for the issue since the beginning of the supposed ceasefire, believing the fight to be over. This fight, however, is far from over. Now more than ever, we need the citizens of the world to speak up against Israel's abhorrent human rights abuses so that we may put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people once and for all

Read full article → ([link removed])


Palestine, the world needs to hear your account of what is happening.

In order to advocate for meaningful change in U.S. policy impacting Palestine, the Muslim Public Affairs Council is amplifying human stories of Palestinians and their families by ensuring top officials in the Biden administration see them. To submit your story, please use the form below. Upon submission you will receive an email acknowledging its receipt. If your story is one we’d like to follow up on for further details or if we have questions, we will contact you at the phone number and email provided.

Your voice, and your stories can impact change.
SHARE YOUR STORY → ([link removed])

GOOD TO KNOW
* Rudy Giuliani suspended ([link removed]) from practicing law in New York State
* Grand Jury in Texas will not charge ([link removed]) officers in custody over death of black man
* 13 youths face ([link removed]) charges In cyberbullying case of girl who harshly criticized Islam
* A rise in traffic fatalities leads to ([link removed]) a spike in law enforcement officer deaths
* COVID: Vaccines running out ([link removed]) in poorer nations, WHO says
* The Pandemic changed ([link removed]) how we vote. These states are making the changes permanent


LEGISLATIVE TRACKER:

Review status of key legislation on issues we're covering —

The bills below seek to address the ongoing plight of the Palestinian people.
1. HR.2590 Introduced by Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]
Referred to Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on 4/15/21
To promote and protect the human rights of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation and to ensure that United States taxpayer funds are not used by the Government of Israel to support the military detention of Palestinian children, the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians in the West Bank, or further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.
2. S.Res.225 - Introduced by Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
Referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on 5/19/21
A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the value of Palestinian and Israeli lives and urging an immediate cease-fire and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
3. H.J.49 - Joint Resolution introduced in the House by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [D-NY-14}
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on 5/20/21
A resolution calling for congressional disapproval of the proposed direct commercial sale to Israel of certain weaponry and munitions.

What can you do to help?

Contact your local congressional offices. ([link removed])

- THIS WEEK IN HISTORY -

June 21, 1948 - The Rhodes conference on the Israel Palestinian conflict opens; June 23, 1900 - The Young Turks present a manifesto to the major foreign embassies in Constantinople demanding that these foreign powers end the Ottoman Sultan's rule; June 26, 1994 - PLO leader Yasser Arafat returns to Gaza after 27 years;

June 20, 1863 - West Virginia is admitted as 35th state; June 20, 1943 - The Detroit race riot breaks out and continues for three days; June 20, 1949 - Central Intelligence Agency Act passes; June 21, 1989 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Texas v. Johnson American Flag burning is protected under the First Amendment; June 22, 1870 - The Department of Justice is created by the U.S. Congress; June 22, 1969 - The pledge of allegiance is adapted by U.S. Congress; June 23, 1972 - U.S. President Nixon signs act barring sex discrimination in college sports; June 23, 1983 - U.S. Supreme Court ruled Congress could not veto presidential decisions; June 24, 1982 - U.S. Supreme Court rules President can't be sued for actions in office; June 25, 1798 - U.S. passes Alien Act allowing president to deport dangerous aliens.


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