President Joe Biden signed a bill last week establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday to honor the day in 1865 that enslaved Black people in Texas learned they were free. This move was a new level of federal action in recognizing the importance of emancipation.
While Juneteenth’s federal recognition is monumental, it comes at a time when at least five states have passed bans on critical race theory — an academic framework that examines systemic racism in America — or related topics in public schools. And many are calling for other moves toward racial equity in the workplace, the justice system and beyond.
At The 19th, we plan to continue our coverage of this historic moment and how it has impacted Black people. And we can’t do that without hearing directly from the Black community. We want to know: How do you feel about Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday? What else do you feel the government needs to do in order to properly move towards racial equity? Are you celebrating July 4? Are you protesting?
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Help inform our coverage and possibly have your response featured in The 19th by completing the form below. The deadline to submit responses is June 27.
We also welcome you to share your responses directly with our reporting fellow Jean Lee at jlee@19thnews.org.
