June 18, 2022
Dear Friends,
Tomorrow, millions of people across our nation will come together to celebrate a triumphant turning point in our history as a day when the horrific institution of slavery came to a long-overdue end.
Honored from its earliest days, Juneteenth is one of the oldest commemorations of this kind. It marks the fateful day of June 19th in 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3, stating: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
This declaration ending slavery was not the first of its kind, coming a two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Also called “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day,” Juneteenth stands out as an extraordinary moment when Lincoln’s proclamation would finally echo into the most remote corners of our nation. The day was celebrated in Texas by more than 250,000 newly freed Black Americans, and has been celebrated every year since. I am eager to be joining communities in our Capital Region again this year in joyful celebration and remembrance of Juneteenth.
Last year, I proudly joined my colleagues in sweeping bipartisan fashion to pass S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act that at last officially recognizes one of the most powerful days in our history, ensuring this day of both jubilant celebration and truthful, sometimes painful reflection is forever enshrined in our lives.
America has come a long way since that day in 1865. But we have much further still to go—to address the entwined legacies of systemic racism, racial violence and economic oppression that have remained at the root of our most enduring institutions, at every level of our government, and spread throughout American life.
We are reminded far too often of the brutal pervasiveness of racism and hate in our country. This year’s Juneteenth will take on new salience and pain, as just 5 weeks ago, 10 Black patrons in Buffalo were murdered by a white supremacist in a devastating act of domestic terrorism. This horrific massacre, and the vitriol and prejudice that sparked it, make painfully clear that racism is very much alive in our nation, an insidious mark too often woven into the fabric of our most enshrined institutions.
Juneteenth gives us a lens to reflect on that dark history and to trace its threads all the way to the present. But—most powerfully—this holiday also calls upon us to hold out hope for brighter days.
In reflecting on the meaning of Juneteenth, the unmatched words of Maya Angelou are brought to mind in her proclamation:
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
Tomorrow we celebrate the triumph of justice over injustice and of freedom over bondage. We mark the resounding strength of the human spirit and recommit ourselves to its care.
And every day after, we continue the hard work of moving our nation towards a better future and hold fast on the timeless pursuit of a more perfect union for all.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- Last October, the President Biden announced major reforms easing restrictions on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). As of June 1, the Administration has forgiven more than $7.3 billion in debt relief for more than 127,000 borrowers through PSLF, but many more still qualify for forgiveness.
- To qualify for PSLF, you must:
- Be employed full-time by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization;
- Have Direct Loans;
- Repay your loans under an income-driven repayment plan; and
- Make 120 qualifying payments.
- Ensure you’re on the right track by submitting the form HERE.
- To learn more about PSLF, access resources and receive step by step guidance on how to apply for loan forgiveness, visit studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service and forgivemystudentdebt.org
