This past weekend marked the first time that Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery, with its date stemming from when the Union General Gordon Granger formally announced enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Galveston, Texas.
Juneteenth is a day to celebrate, but also a reminder of how much work is still to be done, as the legacies of slavery live on in our policing systems, carceral systems, housing segregation, inequalities of wealth and access to public goods, and more.
TODAY & TOMORROW: Fair Share Amendment Campaign Launches
Boston!
Calling all Boston area Fair Share Amendment supporters!
RSVP to attend the campaign launch for Fair Share in Boston tonight at 5 pm outside the Bolling Building (2300 Washington St) in Roxbury!
Springfield & Western Mass!
Calling all Springfield are Fair Share Amendment supporters!
RSVP to attend the campaign launch tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 pm outside Springfield City Hall.
Anywhere & Everywhere!
Don’t forget to sign a Fair Share pledge card!
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WEDNESDAY: Driving Families Forward Hearing Watch Party
The Driving Families Forward Coalition will be hosting a virtual watch and action party for supporters and coalition partners from 2-4PM on Wednesday, June 23rd, during the bill’s hearing!
RSVP HERE to join.
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SATURDAY: FREEDOM TO VOTE RALLY
Join us at the Freedom to Vote Rally on 6/26/21 at 2 – 3:30PM in the Boston Common! There is overwhelming public support for voting rights! Push the Senate to pass S.1 for the People Act.
Join Indivisible Mass Coalition, Swing Blue Alliance, NAACP-Boston, Common Cause MA, Progressive Mass, JALSA, Act on Mass, Free Speech for People, Mass Peace Action, TPS Alliance, Indivisible Acton Area & others at the Rally.
Your strong voice at this critical moment is essential. The fate of our democracy hangs in the balance. This rally is one of the thousands of events to be held across the country to demonstrate massive grassroots support of the For the People Act.
Voter suppression has a disproportionate impact on voters of color. The Boston Freedom to Vote rally will coincide with the arrival in Washington D.C. of the Freedom Ride bus tour. This bus tour, organized by Black Voters Matter, commemorates the 60th anniversary of the original Freedom Ride movement as a means to unite voters in the fight to protect voting rights. We cannot let legislators continue to strip away voting rights, particularly impacting Black voters.
To meet this moment, we are assembling all the supports that are needed, including event marshals and peacekeepers, water stations, medical support and a fully equipped stage with a state of the art sound system. If you can volunteer, please email debi.cpaul@gmail.com.
Hope to see you this week!
