John,

Today is Juneteenth — otherwise known as Freedom Day. This day commemorates the day the last enslaved Americans learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

As we celebrate 157 years of freedom today, we must reaffirm our commitment to fight for equity and justice, because as we know all too well, racism and the injustices it creates are not things of the past. Inequalities remain throughout our system and touch the daily lives of Black Americans. And we can see disparities everywhere, from policing to voting rights to our health care system.

Black women are three to four times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related complication than white women, and in Illinois, that amount increases to six times more likely. These alarming statistics cannot be ignored.

The majority of these deaths are preventable — as are the lives lost to senseless gun violence, racist policing, and other issues that disproportionately impact Black Americans.

That’s why we must continue to fight and push for progress to ensure equity and justice for all Americans. It’s why we must pass my legislation, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, and other legislation that will tear down the systemic racism that still has its roots embedded in our nation.

I have hope, and I know that together, we can address these problems and more.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a very happy Juneteenth.

— Lauren