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Today is Juneteenth — a holiday that marks the day when enslaved Black people in Galveston, TX got news they were finally free from the inhumane, cruel institution of slavery. Like many Black Americans, as a descendant of enslaved people, this day has special significance to me and my family. My great-grandfather Charles King and his family were enslaved not 25 miles from my house in Montgomery County. I have had the opportunity to stand in the cabin where my ancestors were enslaved with my wife and two daughters — an experience I will never forget. |
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It is because my ancestors survived that I am here today. They lived with faith in a future that they could not see. In three generations, my family went from enslaved in that cabin to serving in the Cabinet of the nation’s first Black president. On this Juneteenth, we must also remember that our work is not yet done. Though we now have a federal holiday to commemorate this historic day, there are still states actively working to ban teaching about our full history — an egregious attempt to erase our ancestors’ stories. In Virginia, far-right Glenn Youngkin won his gubernatorial election last year by spreading lies and attacking educators who were trying to teach our country’s history. As governor, he is forcing a sanitized version of our past, banning kids from learning the truth about the history of families like mine — and the far-right is trying to do the same thing nationwide. We must all remain committed to dismantling systemic racism & advancing justice. To read more about my campaign’s plan to do just that, please visit us at www.johnkingforgovernor.com/issue/blackagenda I still believe that in Maryland and nationwide, we can achieve a more equitable future. I wish you all a very reflective Juneteenth, John King |
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