June 2021
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In Solidarity
Celebrate Juneteenth, Press on for Freedom BY MICHAEL BLAKE
J Supports Workers’ World Today
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ecently, I was in Albany fighting and seeking support of A1261/S1947, legislation that will create a clear definition of public work and level the playing field for New York’s contractors. District Council 9 Painters and Allied Trades Union (DC9), the union for painters, prides itself on being a strong advocate for workers’ rights and safety. We are excited about this new publication, Workers’ World Today, which covers the issues of relevance and concern for all workers. We are encouraged that all workers: blue and white collar will have a voice and platform. Congratulations on your inaugural issue. We wish much success to the leaders and team of Workers’ World Today and pledge our support.p Davon Lomax Political Director, DC9
uneteenth is not the day that the enslaved women and men of this nation were freed…it was the day that the last of the enslaved people found out in Texas. The Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1st, 1863. But, large populations of enslaved Black people, brought to remote communities in Texas and other places by planters and other slaveholders, were not informed, as it was up to the Union Soldiers to share this news. First believed to be celebrated in Galveston Texas, June 19th, 1866, our day of recognized freedom became the first organized celebration of “Jubilee Day.” Jubilee Day, or Juneteenth is the day we celebrate Freedom. We will not let anyone hold back our freedom. We will not let anyone treat us with less than the dignity that is deserved. We will not
go back, only forward in this journey for equity. Today's Juneteenth takes on even more special meaning as it follows the first Federal Holiday recognizing the day and a few days before a critical election in New York City with Black candidates seeking to make history and her story. We have more work to do to bring Equity and Justice to scale. My passion is uplifting people, especially Black people. There is much greatness and potential in the Black Community that is yet to be discovered. Organizations like Until
Freedom are investing in those most directly impacted by cyclical poverty, inequality, and state violence. The Black Wall Street is addressing the need for financial literacy to grow generational wealth. The Black Bank Fund supports existing Black-Owned banking in communities to ensure that Black families have access to capital and credit, so often needed to purchase a home or grow a small business. Yes, we celebrate the day. But, until we have transformational changes from Jobs to Justice, Education to Economic Development, we are not free from the systemic barriers that must be broken. Yet, we are a resilient people. History has shown that Black people turn pain into promise, over and over and over again. Today, I ask that you join me in celebrating our excellence, our leadership, our hope, and our promise. OUR FREEDOM.
TEAM Publisher Workers’ World Today, Inc Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip Contributing Writers Marilyn Silverman Charles Tabasso Victoria Falk Erin Telesford Jennine Estes, MFT Travis Morales Mary Campbell Janet Howard Linda N. Chris Tobias Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Telephone 1-866-435-3286 Email info@workersworldtoday.com Visit us at www.workersworldtoday.com
Until we are all truly free, let's press on. p
Juneteenth: Honoring Black Joy and Resilience BY RICHARD TRUMKA
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n June 19, we commemorate the emancipation of enslaved Black people in the United States. To the Black community: We hope tomorrow is a day full of Black joy as you celebrate your power and resilience. To the rest of us: Over the past year, white supremacy and domestic terrorism caused the murder of Black lives. It also caused the Jan. 6
Richard Trumka. Editorial credit: Al Teich / Shutterstock.com
insurrection, which was a great threat to our democracy. We cannot ignore the hate in this country. We cannot ignore it in our workplaces, either. Persistent wage disparities are a tool of
white supremacy. So is chronic unemployment and disproportionate job losses for Black workers during the pandemic. Those are our issues. That’s what the labor movement fights against. We fight so working people can live our lives, speak with our own voices and enjoy the fruits of our labor. So we’ll push for legislation that empowers Black workers like the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. We’ll protect Black voting rights by sup-
porting the For the People Act (S. 1). We’ll say the names of those who were taken from us by racist violence and fight for police reform. The historic signing by President Biden making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a recognition of Black power and a reflection of America’s ongoing journey to tell our nation’s story. But we have more work to do.p Richard Trumka is the President of AFL-CIO
