Juneteenth, for African Americans, is known as Independence Day or Freedom Day and is a holiday commemorating the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of African American slaves. While President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation effectively ending slavery on January 1, 1863, that Proclamation had little effect in Texas until two and a half years later.
The Staff and Board of the Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC) would like to lift up the Black community in Oregon and the United States, honor the sacrifice of all those who endured such unjust and immoral bondage and echo and reaffirm the rising crescendo of those declaring that, in fact, and always, Black Lives Matter.
We at CCC have chosen to use Juneteenth as a day of reflection, inquiry, and gratitude for the gifts that those who have passed before us have bestowed upon us: the opportunity to breathe free. Although we work daily for culturally specific organizations and the underserved, we believe we still have much to learn about anti-black racism and other inequities. Juneteenth is our pause to continue the journey. We hope all can take a moment or two for reflection, as well.
This day also reminds us that we have an obligation to continue to fight for justice, whether it is the civil rights movement of the ’50s and ’60s, the right to vote, the right to be counted in the Census, the right to fair housing and strong education, or the battle for the DREAMers today.
We especially want to acknowledge and lift up on Juneteenth all of the hard working African American and Black Led organizations that are part of our Coalition, and that labor for this community every day: Africa House, KairosPDX, Portland African American Leadership Forum (PAALF), Portland Community Reinvestment Initiative (PCRI), Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI), Unite Oregon, and the Urban League of Portland.
Juneteenth in Oregon can be a day to remember that, even in a state where slavery was illegal, other actions can be almost as unfair and debilitating to the advancement of a people’s progress. Whether it is exclusion laws, lack of access to land, an annual tax for just being of color, being excluded from the vote, a ban on interracial marriage, or insurance surcharges for drivers of color, and we must remain steadfast to our values and continue to battle for all of our communities. As long as we keep fighting, we are truly emancipated.
Happy Juneteenth, Oregon.
DREAMers and families were finally given some relief yesterday, June 18th, with the U.S. Supreme Court decision to block the Trump administration’s attempt of ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The ruling impacts approximately 650,000 DACA recipients nationwide, and 11,000 of those recipients are here in Oregon. This decision is the result of the hard work of our Latinx, immigrant & refugee, and BIPOC communities who organized, mobilized, and with hope as a North Star, believed that even our most radical dreams for a better life could come true.
La lucha sigue, (our fight continues), though. The Supreme Court has not banned the Trump administration from ending DACA. Communities across the country continue to mobilize and demand systemic changes to policing and community & public safety. The CCC and our members will continue to advocate for student safety in the classroom, on the way to school. We will continue to advocate against police & ICE presence in schools. We will continue to advocate for the accessibility of quality education & economic opportunities for DACA, undocumented, immigrant and refugee, and BIPOC students.
We appreciate the work of all of our member organizations, through their commitment to elevating community voices & addressing their needs. We want to especially acknowledge and recognize the dedicated efforts of Latino Network, IRCO, APANO, Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project, Hacienda CDC, Milagro Theater, and Verde.
We call on our federal delegation to pressure the Trump Administration to respect the decision of the Supreme Court, end its futile attempts to terminate the program, and ensure that USCIS does not share information with ICE about DACA recipients and their families. We call on our federal delegation to listen to the voices of the DREAMers and accelerate efforts to manifest their visions for their long-term status.
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