EMILYs List Celebrates Juneteenth
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today we celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday to recognize the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas and marks the date in 1865 when enslaved people were declared free due to the Emancipation Proclamation. EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler released the following statement celebrating the holiday:
“Today, we proudly celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday that reminds us of the contributions and sacrifices of the brave Black Americans who have fought for equality for all. As we recognize the milestone and celebrate the enduring resilience and contributions of Black Americans, we must also confront the ongoing struggle for true equity and justice we still face today. On this Juneteenth, let us not only celebrate the progress we have made, but also renew our dedication to fight for equity when we fight for reproductive justice.”
“EMILYs List was built on the idea that our government works best when it is reflective of the diversity of people it represents. Today, we celebrate the incredible Black women who serve in elected office across the country and the Democratic pro-choice women who continue to fight for racial equity and justice for all. The fights for racial justice and reproductive justice are intertwined, and we must continue to stand against extremist Republicans who are trying to take away our fundamental rights. Together, we can work towards a future where every person, regardless of race or background, has the freedom to make decisions about their own body and access the health care they need.”
EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities. Our work is centered around a fundamental vision: Run. Win. Change the World. EMILYs List has raised $850 million in service to that vision and has helped Democratic women win competitive elections by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running one of the largest independent expenditure operations for Democrats, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country’s first woman as vice president, 175 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 20 governors, and over 1,500 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Visit www.emilyslist.org for more information.
