Juneteenth and The Work Ahead

What Juneteenth tells us about what still lies ahead for local leaders

The OOO’s are set. Burgers and buns bought. T-shirts laid out. But before the celebrations begin, we need to talk about what Juneteenth highlights in today’s political climate and what it teaches us about the (long) path ahead.

The federal holiday marks the end of a stretch of two and a half years between President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and the news of freedom finally reaching Black folks in Galveston, Texas, where slavery was ongoing. That stretch – rather than its final day – is one of the most compelling reasons we celebrate it today.

It recognizes that freedom was not written into existence, but carried out day by day. And it’s what makes Juneteenth a cause for both celebration and caution.

Celebrating Juneteenth in 2025

Juneteenth has only been recognized as a federal holiday since 2021. And it’s a bit on-the-nose that just four years later, we’re celebrating it in the face of attacks on voting rights, deployments of U.S. troops on peaceful protestors, and the demonization of D.E.I. (among many, many other things).

We won the fight to mark the holiday, but it’s clear that we’re a long way from living its legacy on the national scale. Instead, there’s been a coordinated attempt to rewrite history, double down on racial inequities, and punish inclusionary efforts.

It’s a stark reminder that declaring our values wasn’t enough to get our practices (or politicians) up to speed. To do that, we have to get honest about what freedom really requires.

Juneteenth as a Starting Point

The state of our democracy this Juneteenth is all the proof we need to say that representation isn’t where we should mark the finish line, but where we yell “go!”

We should be able to look around at our often inconceivable reality and admit: representation on its own hasn’t been enough, and it’s not going to be our key to unlocking freedom now. We do need representation – but we need more than that.

For candidates, Juneteenth is a reminder that your presence matters, but your policy matters more. Fighting for your people is daily legislative work, and it demands roots planted in the real needs of your community.

For campaign staffers and volunteers, it’s a reminder that your work doesn’t end on Election Day. You're building a system for change that lasts far longer.

And for voters, it’s a reminder that democracy is a muscle to exercise, not a standstill state of being.

Policies, laws, symbolic achievements, and even electoral wins only matter when people do the following work to make them matter.

Freedom Won… Then Delivered

Juneteenth is evidence that freedom requires more than making statements aloud or symbolic gestures online. It relies on us seeing the gaps between our promises and often broken reality, and accepting the responsibility to fill them. Not just talking (or tweeting) about it — but applying pressure with votes, organizing, and policies that can crack power structures and build new ones from the ground up.

The lines of progress we’ve drawn since 1865 – imperfect, interrupted, but trending upward – are thanks to ordinary people who stepped up, who organized, and who ran.

The Long Work of Freedom

That kind of leadership doesn’t just happen overnight. It’s taught and grown in time.

Every candidate, campaign staffer, and local leader we’ve trained has been an investment in the infrastructure that keeps freedom and democracy pulsing through darker times. And eventually reclaiming the spotlight.

If you’re ready to get to work with us, you can find more information, resources, and upcoming opportunities (all for free) on our website.

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