NYC Racial Justice Fee honors Juneteenth in dialogue with civil rights advocates and group leaders

By Last updated Jun 24, 2021

STATEN ISLAND, NY – “We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go,” a phrase shared by various speakers during the New York City Racial Honing Juneteenth: Reflections on the Legacy of Racial Justice Justice Commission repeated.

The Racial Justice Commission met on Friday the 18th. The meeting was attended by guest speakers – Former Councilor Una Clarke (D-Central Brooklyn), Reverend Dr. Herbert Daughtry, Dr. Hazel Dukes, Deacon Maurice A. Reid and Reverend John L. Scott – to discuss their work as civil rights lawyers and comment on the current state of racial justice in the city and nation.

Among the 11 commissioners present was Yesenia Mata, who is the only Staten Islander on the commission.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who formed the Racial Justice Commission, and New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray also attended the meeting.

Commission chairwoman and moderator Jennifer Jones Austin opened with a brief history of Juneteenth and connected it to modernity.

“June marks the day in 1865 when black people enslaved in Texas learned that they were free, that slavery officially ended with the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier. But sadly, tragically, even though we are free from institutionalized slavery, we are still faced with systemic racism that denies blacks, indigenous people and other colored people basic human and economic rights, ”Austin said.

The NYC Racial Justice Commission (RJC), civil rights activists, and community leaders gathered for the Commission’s public virtual event in honor of Juneteenth: Reflections on the Legacy of Racial Justice to commemorate the holiday and the current state of racial justice and inequality in the city to discuss and nation. (from top left) Shelley McAllister, ASL interpreter; Anusha Venkataraman, Managing Director, RJC; Jennifer Jones Austin, RJC chairman; Ana Bermúdez, RJC member; Maurice A. Reid; Phillip Thomas, NYC Deputy Mayor – June 18, 2021 (Staten Island Advance / Giavanni Alves)Giavanni Alves

THE IMPORTANCE OF JUNITEENTH

Mayor de Blasio, in his remarks on June 15, admitted the less pleasant aspects of the holiday.

“June, in addition to its noble and positive elements that we honor, could be a painful relapse lesson for people who have told them they are emancipated just to face some other system of oppression and that to lose what they had, deprived of their rights. The tenth of June, I don’t think I have to tell anyone here, is a beautiful but bittersweet holiday, ”said de Blasio.

Deacon Maurice A. Reid also spoke about the context of the Juneteenth.

Indeed, history teaches that when the Juniteenth was celebrated by the newly liberated Africans, these happy people were very much aware of the fact that they were stateless. They did not enjoy citizenship status. They didn’t have the right to vote, ”Reid said.

“We must also recognize that the abolition of this unjust institution did not end the systemic racism and structural inequality that continue to plague our nation and city. Your honorable theme “Juneteenth: Reflections on the Legacy of Racial Justice” speaks to this enduring reality, “he continued.

Reid also stressed how injustices faced by people of color were particularly evident during the pandemic.

“As we commemorate June 10th, we must acknowledge that the COVID pandemic has exposed the tragic tradition of object poverty, relative poverty, wage stagnation and wealth inequality. These are the toxic triggers that have contributed to the comorbidities, premature deaths and chronic illnesses that disproportionately damaged color communities, ”Reid said.

‘REAL FREEDOM’

First Lady, Chirlane McCray, spoke about the concept of real freedom as it looks in practice.

“As we all know, freedom is about so much more than laws. True freedom means knowing that our children have safe spaces and the school support they need. True freedom is self-determination and the ability to build generational wealth. True freedom is when people have affordable housing and more, ”said McCray.

The First Lady continued: “The challenge that lies ahead is of great urgency and this is the time for concrete action for a real-teeth policy.”

Reverend John L. Scott commented on the various aspects of inequality in society and the daunting task of taking over important institutions such as education and housing.

“We’re talking about a kind of rebuilding where you have a level playing field,” said Scott.

While saying that he is hopeful, he also expressed that a world that reaches the level of justice he and his colleagues are discussing is in many ways illusory compared to Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World.”

– The NYC Racial Justice Commission (RJC), civil rights activists and community leaders gathered for the public virtual event of the Commission in Honor of Juneteenth: Reflections on the Legacy of Racial Justice to commemorate the holiday and the current state of racial justice and inequality in the world to discuss city and nation. (from top left) Jennifer Jones Austin, Chair of the RJC; Maurice A. Reid; Shelley McAllister, ASL interpreter; Reverend Dr. Herbert Daughtry; Chirlane McCray, NYC first lady; Henry A. Garrido, RJC vice chairman; Phillip Thompson, NYC Assistant Mayor; Ana Bermudez, RJC member; Anusha Venkataraman, RJC General Manager; Chris Kui, RJC member – June 18, 2021 (Staten Island Advance / Giavanni Alves)Giavanni Alves

Dr. Hazel Dukes also referred to the story, quoting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four freedoms.

“For the freedoms that we know we have: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear, we have to make a plan,” said Dukes.

The dukes also expressed their hope of seeing a change in the near future.

“And with the men and women under the leadership of the mayor of this city, I believe we will have a report next year, this time this time, which will not only serve as a celebration but also as a resolution on how we are going from yesterday to today skip over. “See you tomorrow,” she added.

AN AGENCY OF CHANGE

Mayor de Blasio turned to the commission and told them that he considered their work to be sacred.

“I can tell you that this year, 2021, this year of rebirth and recovery and a feeling of profound change, you have the opportunity to shape this city, to go a way forward, and then it will be a shot all over the world because what you do becomes the template, ”said de Blasio.

“I think people in every city in America, in every county, in every state, even on a national level, will be asking, ‘Where is our corresponding commission? Where is our process? Where is our path to change? ”Continued the mayor.

– The NYC Racial Justice Commission (RJC), civil rights activists and community leaders gathered for the public virtual event of the Commission in Honor of Juneteenth: Reflections on the Legacy of Racial Justice to commemorate the holiday and the current state of racial justice and inequality in the world to discuss city and nation. (from top left) Jennifer Jones Austin, Chair of the RJC; Maurice A. Reid; Reverend Dr. Herbert Daughtry; Henry A. Garrido, vice chairman of the RJC; Phillip Thompson, NYC Assistant Mayor; Anthony J. Aramburo, ASL interpreter; Reverend John L. Scott; Mayor Bill de Blasio; Chris Kui, RJC member; Ana Bermúdez, RJC member; Anusha Venkataraman, RJC General Manager; Yesenia Mata, RJC member; Jo-Ann Yoo, RJC Member – June 18, 2021 (Staten Island Advance / Giavanni Alves)Giavanni Alves

Henry Garrido, vice chairman of the commission and executive director of DC37, the city’s largest union of public servants, spoke about the potential of the commission.

“This commission has a tremendous opportunity to start not only the healing process, but also the institutional inequalities that we have seen, the institutional racism that we have in housing, in environmental justice, in dealing with access to capital, in the Have seen access to combat pensions, in the way we hire and fire people, in the way we recruit and train the next generation, ”said Garrido.