My reflections this Juneteenth

 

	Happy Juneteenth! Today, we celebrate freedom. Though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, word didn’t get around to all the enslaved folks in Galveston, Texas, until two years later – on June 19, 1865. The news sparked the period known as Reconstruction, and Black leaders sought political office in record numbers to secure equal protection under the law. It’s important that we acknowledge those who paid the price for our freedom – because freedom isn’t free, and some stories don’t get told unless we insist on it. So as I reflect on this Juneteenth, I want to honor someone who made it possible for me to stand here today: Hiram Rhodes Revels. Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first Black man to serve in the U.S. Senate. His service began at the church as an African Methodist Episcopal preacher, then grew far beyond those walls. When a Senate seat opened in 1870, he ran for office, inspired by his belief that a Black candidate could deliver a tough blow to color line prejudice. Sen. Revels spoke up for racial justice all across the South and supported the reinstatement of Black legislators right here in Georgia. His story is a reminder of what's possible when we protect the sacredness of our common humanity and love our neighbors as ourselves. Like Sen. Revels, I made the leap from pastor to senator. As the senior pastor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s church, I stand on the shoulders of historic giants like Dr. King, Coretta Scott King, and Rep. John Lewis. As Georgia’s first Black senator, I also stand on the shoulders of great men like Hiram Revels, whose courage forced the moral arc of this country to bend a bit closer toward liberty and justice for us all. It's an arc that still has much further to bend, but I'm fighting each and every day in the Senate to carry Reverend Revels' work forward and make true equality a reality in our country. Thank you, for reflecting with me in honor of Juneteenth today – and for standing with me in the fight for justice, always. – Rev. Raphael Warnock Contribute   Please read on for a personal message from Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock:  thank you. I’m grateful to have grassroots folks like you standing alongside me in our critical fights for justice. Our midterm elections are taking place this November, and I need your help. With Democrats’ razor-thin majority in the Senate, Republicans have to flip just one seat to retake control – and experts say that I’m the most vulnerable Democratic senator up for reelection. Mitch McConnell and his GOP allies are flooding Georgia with millions to defeat me, and GOP super PACs are smearing me with attack ads. We need to fight back now – but I don't take a dime from corporate PACs, so I'm fully relying on your grassroots support to power this campaign to victory. If you’re with me in this fight, please donate now to win in Georgia and defend our Democratic Senate majority. If you’d like to become one of my TOP supporters and receive exclusive updates from our campaign team, text “GEORGIA” to 52005. Thank you! – Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock Text GEORGIA to 52005 • Visit our Team Warnock Store
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