Today we celebrate Juneteenth – the day on which, in 1865, the last group of enslaved African Americans received the news that slavery had been abolished in America. The momentous day on which this final group of enslaved peoples learned they were free. 

157 years later, communities across America still gather together on Juneteenth to commemorate the end of slavery and the extension of freedom to all enslaved people in the nation. And while this is certainly a day for joyous celebration, it also is a day for reflection – reflection on our nation’s unjust past and reflection on where we, as a country, want to go from here.

I know I don’t have to tell you that the United States is standing at an inflection point. In this moment of continued racial reckoning, we have to keep pushing for progress.  

It’s on us to dismantle systems of oppression that have harmed Black Americans for centuries. It’s on us to create a more just, equitable world for the next generation. And it’s on us to elect leaders who will fight back against the new, modern-day Jim Crow laws – like voter suppression and redlining.

As a Black woman, this fight is personal. I vow to never stop pushing for progress and working to create a more equitable nation – because the fight for true freedom has never ended. 

And on this Juneteenth, I hope you’ll recommit yourself to this fight, too. 

Onward,

Emilia