St. Louis, MO (June 19, 2020) – Today, on Juneteenth, Missouri Democratic Party Vice Chair Clem Smith and Secretary Rev. Darryl Gray released the following statement:

“Juneteenth is a time of remembrance, acknowledgement, and learning. The Declaration of Independence proclaimed that “all men are created equal” and “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

Written in 1776, that statement did not apply to the hundreds of thousands of Black slaves in this country and it would be nearly a century before Black Americans would be freed. And even after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery still existed in the United States. It would be two and a half years after Lincoln gave his famed address that slaves in Texas would learn of their freedom.

In the 150 years since the end of slavery we have made a lot of progress, but there is still a long way to go towards true equality.

With protests against police brutality and systemic racism taking place across not only America, but the world, we are yet again reminded that justice does not come automatically. COVID-19 laid bare the racial health disparities, environmental injustice, and the wealth inequity that plagues Black communities. 

As we celebrate this Juneteenth, we are reminded that there are still many obstacles our people face in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness.

While today we can celebrate how far we’ve come, we must acknowledge how far we have yet to go. Black Americans cannot truly be free until we’re free to jog, free to enter our own homes, free to sleep at night, without the worry we’ll be killed for the color of our skin.”