Friend,
On June 19, 1865, Black communities in Texas – more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation – finally received the news that they were free. We commemorate this day as Juneteenth every year.
This Juneteenth is a powerful moment for our nation. The power of our movements and collective voices are changing the world. So for this Juneteenth weekend, the call to action is to keep pushing! Here are five actions to do this weekend to keep the momentum going:
Register and Pledge to Vote at RespectMyVote.com - It takes 2 minutes. Don’t wait until voter registration deadlines or your favorite influencer to post about it. And, this year, we encourage you to register to vote by mail. With the unknowns of what impact COVID-19 will have on Elections, being able to vote by mail will ensure you can stay safe and have your vote counted. You can register for an absentee/vote by mail ballot here. #RespectMyVote
Join a Juneteenth Action for Black Lives in your community (June 19-21) - starting today there will be hundreds of grassroots led mobilizations across the country. Get involved any way you can – from your couch or in the streets (safely) at SIXNINETEEN.com. #BlackLivesMatter
Join the online Mass Poor People's Assembly and Moral March on Washington (June 20-21) - This weekend The Poor People's Campaign is coming together to demand that the 140 million poor and low-income people in our nation — from every race, creed, gender, sexuality and place — are no longer ignored, dismissed or pushed to the margins of our political and social agenda. Tune into the national broadcast on Saturday, June 20th at 10am and 6pm ET, and again on Sunday June 21st at 6pm ET. Visit June2020.org to find out more and here is a toolkit for amplifying the campaign. #PoorPeoplesCampaign
Take Action to Defund the Police - Add your name to demand local elected leaders shift resources from a system of policing that isn’t working to ones that can. Put forth a new vision for public health and safety in Black communities. Not one driven by punitive, violent, and terroristic policing as we have now. But one driven by programs and projects for social uplift and effective public safety. #DefundThePolice
Watch (In)Visible Portraits - a new film out today from first-time director Oge Egbuonu focused on the erasure of Black women in America, and the tragedy of Breonna Taylor’s killing. Our team member Jazmine Williams is the phenomenal poet featured throughout the film. Tune into Levi’s Instagram Live conversation today at 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT with Jazmine and other brilliant women that put together this powerful film.
Be sure to follow and tag us @HipHopCaucus across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. We want to see you taking action – no matter what it is!
This Juneteenth is an important moment for our communities to proclaim in one voice that Black Lives Matter, and that we won’t tolerate anything less than justice and equity. We have the opportunity to come out of this moment in history stronger and better than when we came into it. While it can feel like things are getting worse in many respects, we are also envisioning the world we want and working towards it as a true reality. It’s going to take all of us. No one is free, until everyone is free.
We are going to be okay because we have each other. We see you, we love you. All power to the people this Junteenth and always.
For Future Generations,
Rev Yearwood
President & Founder
Hip Hop Caucus
1638 R Street, NW #120, Washington, DC 20009
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