John, Happy Juneteenth!

157 years ago today, Union troops marched to Galveston, Texas, to give Black southerners the news of their freedom from enslavement. Following the Civil War, the message came more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, and now June 19th — Juneteenth — is remembered as a holiday in honor of Black liberation and the end of slavery.

I was happy to vote last year to make Juneteenth a national holiday. But today is more than just a celebration.

While formalizing the celebration of Juneteenth is one meaningful step in the right direction to acknowledge our nation’s historic wrongs, we have a long path ahead of us in the fight for racial justice and equality.

On this day of celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people, I want to lift up H.R. 40 — a bill I helped introduce in Congress to begin pursuing reparations for the descendants of enslaved people.

​​Will you add your name to my petition demanding my colleagues in Congress pass H.R. 40 to begin paving the way for reparations? This is an important step toward healing from our nation’s troubled past and truly realizing racial equity.

Our fight for liberation, equality, and justice for all lives on in the spirit of those who came before us. And today especially, we remember their sacrifices and celebrate their achievements that helped us realize a more just, although still imperfect, society.

Thank you, and happy Juneteenth to you all!

In solidarity,

Barbara Lee