The past is always present in some way in our lives.
On June 19, 1865, Union troops rode into Galveston, Texas, and delivered the news that the last enslaved people in the Confederacy were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. That day, freedom finally became real for the last of the enslaved. Long-held dreams and prayers had become reality.
And that freedom brought meaningful progress. In the years that followed, Black Americans built schools and pushed literacy rates upward, built and expanded colleges and universities that still educate generations today, and won election to Congress – exercising their freedoms and creating lasting change in the process.
Many fought and dreamed while still in bondage, never seeing the fruits of their labor, but planting a harvest that would feed generations they would never meet. We would not be where we are now without that sacrifice.
That is why on Juneteenth, we honor the resilience of the Black Americans whose labor, suffering, and endurance built this country, and who never stopped believing freedom was theirs to claim. We stand here today as a fighting and vibrant labor movement because of the courage and perseverance of enslaved people who built the foundation beneath our feet.
In a time when long-standing rights are under attack, history reminds us that we cannot sit idly by. We must embody the selflessness of those who came before us, because the rights and freedoms of future generations rest in the work we do now.
I believe that is the character every AFT Maryland member shares. We know our responsibility to ourselves and to the generations who will inherit what we build is to keep pushing for justice, freedom, and equity.
I hope each of you finds time to celebrate Juneteenth, and that we carry its lessons forward as we continue doing our part to make this country a more perfect union.
Happy Juneteenth!
In solidarity,
Kenya Campbell, President
AFT Maryland