AFSCME’s Saunders: Let Juneteenth, our nation’s second Independence Day, serve as a call to action

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in recognition of Juneteenth:

“Juneteenth is a moment for celebration, as we recognize the end of slavery and the freedom that Black Americans fought so hard for. It is also a time for reflection on how far we still have to go.

“Even a century after emancipation, Black sanitation workers in Memphis were still fighting for dignity and respect on the job. Their rallying cry was a demand for recognition of their basic humanity: ‘I AM A MAN.’ Then, as it is today, civil rights and labor rights cannot be separated from one another. In 2024, Black workers continue to struggle for workplace equity and to organize against low wages and dangerous working conditions that are a function of systemic racism. By banding together in strong unions and using their voice on the job, Black workers are closing pay gaps and making progress toward eliminating discrimination in the workplace. However, our work is anything but finished.

“The arc of the moral universe still needs bending toward justice. So let Juneteenth, our nation’s second Independence Day, serve as a call to action to pick up the baton and keep up the fight, to continue educating, organizing and mobilizing for true liberty and justice for all.”