Juneteenth is day of liberation, freedom and empowerment. A commemoration of the emancipation of the last Black slaves in the United States and the ultimate triumph of morality and human dignity after a shameful period in our nation’s history. A celebration of resilience and the indomitable spirit of generation upon generation of Black Americans.
For all of these reasons and more, the OPCMIA congratulates President Biden and the U.S. Congress for making Juneteenth the 11th annually recognized federal holiday. It serves as an acknowledgement of our nation’s original sin and a recognition of the urgent need to address the systemic racism that still afflicts our country.
Today, we recommit ourselves to doing everything in our power to end the wage, wealth and opportunity disparities that are keeping Black people from full equality some 156 years after the first Juneteenth. We are dedicated to making racial equity, justice, and inclusion a reality in everything we do through training, organizing, bargaining, and legislative and political action, in our union, in our workplaces, in our industry and throughout the labor movement.
