This Friday, 19 June is Juneteenth – the 135th anniversary of the day the news of emancipation reached the last group of slaves in Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1 January 1863. (Juneteenth is also know as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day).
Join V-Day, One Billion Rising and City of Joy as we RISE and proclaim Black Lives Matter this weekend of national days of action anchored by the Movement for Black Lives. Events are being scheduled throughout the United States in the streets and online.
While this day is sacred for Black Americans every year, this year it takes on added meaning against the backdrop of countless people taking to the streets across United States and the world to declare that BLACK LIVES MATTER in the wake of the senseless murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the countless other Black men and women at the hands of the police. For far too many centuries, anti-Blackness has been the underpinning of how our society is structured. It is time to dismantle it.
As a movement of anti-violent activists, we know the intersections that race, gender, sexual orientation and violence make along the trajectory of a person’s life; just look at the experience of Black trans women, who are disproportionately murdered in our society.
We must meet this moment with everything we have. Now is the time to mobilize in a way we have never done before. We must show up for our Black brothers and sisters and stand in solidarity with them in the face of Trump’s glaring racism, to demand that police forces be defunded so that resources can be channeled to true community needs, from housing and education to mental health support.
Together let’s join the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)’s SIXNINETEEN mobilization on Juneteenth weekend, 19-21 June. Take action from home, in your community, or in Washington, D.C. Visit sixnineteen.com for information on how you can be involved in this historic weekend of actions.
If you take to the streets, please wear a mask and practice social distancing as much as possible.
Let’s listen. Let’s donate. Let’s show up. Let’s love. Let’s not stop until ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Let’s RISE!
See you in the streets and online,
V-Day, One Billion Rising & City of Joy
JUNETEENTH NOW – Get us Free – Friday, 19 June, 7-9pm ET
Join a jubilant and joyous, Black led, multicultural celebration of Juneteenth, featuring an array of artists including One Billion Rising/V-Day Founder V (formerly Eve Ensler) and Actor/Activist and V-Board Member Rosario Dawson.
“On #Juneteenth, an incredible group of artists will gather for a Black-led, multicultural celebration. An homage to the 400 years that Black people have lived in this nation, the program will non-linearly jump through our past and present, highlighting Black resistance, resilience, healing and joy… the evening will feature performances from a wide variety of artists… A variety of writers will speak… and the entertainment will be rounded out with jaw-dropping musical numbers from award-winning theatre stars… As our nation remains gripped in protests against police violence, this program will amplify calls for justice while simultaneously highlighting the joy, virtuosity and excellence that are too-often absent in media portrayals of Black culture. And – against the President’s white nationalism – the show will offer a vision of a beautiful, justice-oriented, multicultural America in striking contrast.” – Middlechurch
For full details, to view the lineup of incredible artists, writers and entertainment and to register, visit: bit.ly/get-us-free