Hello — Today we honor and observe Juneteenth, the oldest continuous celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Today marks the 157th anniversary of freedom for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, which came two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. And last year, I was proud to pass legislation to finally recognize the day as a federal holiday.

Juneteenth is not only a day to celebrate and rejoice, but also to recommit to repairing our unjust system — from policing to health care to voting rights. We still have so much work ahead of us, and the fight for justice and equality cannot rest.

My promise to you is that I’ll never stop fighting for justice and the rights of all people. I will continue to push for economic security and social mobility for all people. I will work with anyone and everyone to create meaningful legislation that gets to the root of systemic racism in this country.

As we reflect today, we all must pay attention to this moment — we must understand that it’s on all of us to achieve progress and deliver real justice for Black and brown Americans.

I hope you will join me in recommitting to that fight.

Thank you,

Deborah