Juneteenth has now been recognized as a Federal Holiday. Like MLK Day, this recognition is based on the work of grassroots freedom fighters for racial justice. Both of these movement holidays have required the work of justice-minded elected officials like Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee of Texas to introduce and advocate legislation to reflect social movement commemoration. The Federal Government has just now caught up to our people's long-standing recognition of our emancipation day, and they are not to be glorified or vindicated by this decision. This decision is the outcome of movement work to confront systemic oppression, build our own narratives, and contend with the 500 years of imperialism and colonialism that began with the transatlantic slave trade and war on indigenous sovereignty in the Western hemisphere and globally. In this historical moment of pandemic and social crisis, we must specifically acknowledge all of the courageous, Black people of multiple genders, ages, and life experiences who have risen up over the last many years to fight in the streets and other venues, against anti-Black racism and for racial justice. The Biden Administration would not have signed onto this legislation without these courageous, contemporary freedom fighters. We are aware that the recognition of this holiday happens at the same time that some of those very freedom fighters are being dragged and attacked in social media and national conversations; some are being prosecuted, surveilled and incarcerated for their righteous protest activity; some are being undermined and otherwise disrespected as movement leadership committed to the long term struggle for justice and liberation. Here in the U.S. South, we do not need federal recognition to mark, honor and engage our emancipation day, Juneteenth. Project South, along with our partner the Hunger Coalition, has honored Juneteenth through public programming at our building and land in South Atlanta for over 20 years. Like many of our sister organizations and communities across the South we have consistently recognized and developed meaning around our emancipation day with the understanding that our fight for freedom, justice and liberation continues to this day. We support the Federal recognition because we know who fought for and made it possible. We support this national holiday because it is part of our larger struggle to recognize the global impact of a transatlantic slave trade that continues to deny Black people basic human rights and continues to result in the majority of our people living in poverty and economic precarity. This Juneteenth — like every Juneteenth for the past 20 years — Project South will celebrate with our people and renew our commitment to to transform the social, economic and political systems of oppression we face. The work and achievements of our ancestors before us reveal that we will win in our life-affirming struggle for justice and for the liberation of all oppressed people. As the great freedom fighter from Mississippi Fannie Lou Hamer said many years ago, “Nobody is Free Until Everybody is Free.” CLICK HERE to read and share the Project South timeline that traces our people's historic and ongoing resistance to slavery, police, and militarization in the legacy of the Black Radical Tradition. - Project South Team | 
