What Juneteenth means to me
Today is Juneteenth, a day long recognized as an important one in Black history years before it was recognized as a federal holiday.
Today, I think about not just the emancipation of the great many enslaved people, including my ancestors, but I also think of the many generations of Americans since 1865. My family from and still living in East Texas towns such as Lufkin and Nacogdoches; my distant relatives now spanning as far west as California and as far east as New Jersey; and my immediate family right here in the Austin area.
I think about how significant this day was and is for families like mine for whom the dignity of humanity was removed and the justice of being granted full personhood here in the United States of America is still being restored one fight, one struggle, one vote at a time.
As I seek to represent District 9 on Austin City Council, it is my hope that you all connect with your own sense of duty in this great experiment of America and democracy. Your duty to vote, yes, but also your duty to embrace the changing political tides that have given me, a Black man, a voice here in one of Austin's most influential areas at this unique time in our city's history.
If we are to eradicate the racism threaded throughout America's history, Texas history and the history right here in Austin, we must elect leaders who will honor lessons learned, bring a sense of duty to public office, and lead from a place of deep conviction in bringing forth solutions that help the entire community, not just those most fortunate.
I hope you are celebrating Juneteenth today. I also hope you join me in embracing a sense of duty to make Austin more affordable, equitable and inclusive tomorrow.