Hello,

157 years ago, Union troops marched to Galveston, Texas to deliver the news that Black Southerners were free from enslavement more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Now we remember this day, known as Juneteenth, in honor of Black liberation and the end of slavery.

But today, I want us to also recognize that we still have a long way to go before all Black Americans are truly free.

The end of slavery was not the end of racial injustice. Structural and systemic racism is real—and it’s still there. Our commitment to right these wrongs must never waver.

We can’t let progress distract us from today’s fight against voter suppression, mass incarceration and the racial wealth gap—all of which disproportionately harm Black Americans.

That’s why I’m committed to continuing the fight for justice in health care, housing and education, making sure Black Americans can get good-paying jobs, and working to finally restore the Voting Rights Act.

Making Juneteenth a federal holiday was long overdue. And I’m proud to have supported that legislation to recognize our history. But as we celebrate the 157th anniversary of emancipation, let us continue the fight for progress in order to usher in true justice and equality for all.

In solidarity,

Tim Ryan