Posted June 16, 20222:31 pm
Our entire team at Legal Aid will honor and celebrate Juneteenth this weekend, as it has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s.
President Biden signed legislation in 2021 that made Juneteenth a federal holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. While a celebration of freedom, this holiday helps shine a spotlight on racism that is rooted in slavery. This harmful legacy is a reality in our community and our nation – more than 157 years since news of the Emancipation Proclamation arrived in Texas on June 19.
Since 1905, Legal Aid has fought for equality and justice. Legal Aid stands with our community for justice and peace. We grieve with those who experience the violence of racism. Legal Aid pledges to:
- Remove barriers erected by racism and address the impact of centuries of racism on individuals and families. The vestiges of racism prevent too many Brown and Black people from securing health, safety, shelter, and economic security.
- Identify biases and inequitable systems within our organization – and then take steps to eradicate those biases and inequities, so that Legal Aid demonstrates values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Work in partnership with others to design and implement systemic solutions to systemic racism.
- Raise the awareness of our staff and board and the community about the systems that contribute to racism, the impact of systemic racism, and the intersection of racism and poverty.
- Stand in solidarity with the oppressed and ignored in our community. Black lives matter.