Juneteenth is a time for reflection

Each year on June 19th, we remember that two long years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, word finally made it to Galveston, Texas to free the last enslaved people in the U.S. in 1865.

Today, and every day, we celebrate Black history, culture, and community. Here in Fort Lauderdale, we are blessed to benefit from the many achievements and brilliance of Black Americans and immigrants. Black culture flourishes in every corner of our city in such an incredible tapestry of backgrounds, including Haitian, Bahamian, African-American, Dominican, and Brazilian.

Through our city’s history, we also know the ways that the past has placed barriers to equality. That includes how slavery, Jim Crow laws, and other racist policies have resulted in disparities in income, health, and housing that many Black communities face in our city.

That’s why I think of Juneteenth as a time to take action. Together, as a community and through our leadership, we will put forth the effort to fight for equality so that we can make Fort Lauderdale an even better place for everyone to live. Help by donating today so that I can continue to fight for justice here in our city.

I hope you have a peaceful day,

Dean