Dear Sisters and Brothers:
On June 19, 1865, Union Army troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, bringing news of President Abraham Lincoln’s emancipation of enslaved Africans almost two years earlier. That day, more than 250,000 African Americans tasted freedom for the first time. These newly freed people began commemorating the day they called Juneteenth, sometimes referred to as America’s second Independence Day. It would be another 156 years before that day became a national holiday in 2021.
Juneteenth is an opportunity to reflect on the history of labor and civil rights struggles and to reaffirm our commitment as union members to advancing the rights of all peoples.
In celebrating Juneteenth, we must recognize that the fight for racial and economic justice is ongoing. Juneteenth serves as a reminder that the struggle for equality and liberation continues, and labor unions have a responsibility to continue championing the rights of all workers, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability, or economic status.
Our work as a union never ends, and our fight for workers’ rights will always go hand in hand with our fight for social justice in our communities, and our world.
Sincerely and fraternally,
John M. Coveny, Jr.
President/Directing General Chair
IAM District 142
