MARK JUNETEENTH WITH ACTION


ACTION ONE: CALL YOUR SENATORS

SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR WYDEN AND MERKLEY:

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
I am taking a moment to reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth. I want you to know that I fully support strong federal action to end police violence. We also need more funding going to social services, education and health care, and less money going to the military and policing. My support is not a flash in the pan, and won’t end with a few reforms are made. I am in this fight for the long haul, and pledge to keep supporting legislation that will extirpate racism from America.

ACTION TWO: CALL YOUR HOUSE REPS

Not sure who your U.S. Representative is? Find out here. 

SAMPLE SCRIPTS FOR REPRESENTATIVES:

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am calling because…
I am taking a moment to reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth. I want you to know that I fully support strong federal action to end police violence. We also need more funding going to social services, education and health care, and less money going to the military and policing. My support is not a flash in the pan, and won’t end with a few reforms are made. I am in this fight for the long haul, and pledge to keep supporting legislation that will extirpate racism from America.

ACTION THREE:  WRITE LETTERS TO VOTERS

Organizing for the 2020 Election is happening online.

BACKGROUND:

It took almost two and a half years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and two months after the Civil War ended for the news to reach the last bastion of legal slavery, Texas. The announcement read:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
Freed slaves organized Juneteenth to commemorate emancipation, now an international-celebrated holiday.
Juneteenth is a good day for non-Black people to figure out how to join against anti-Black racism. Here’s simple, practical advice from one activist, Deray Mckesson: Find an issue that’s important to you, and be as curious and close to it as possible.” 
There is plenty of work to do here at home and in Congress. This week, Portland made Juneteenth a paid holiday for city workers. But across the state armed white militias are intimidating people who demonstrating for racial justice. Wherever we enter the stream of social justice is a good place to start.

SOURCES: