Continuing the promise of Juneteenth: honoring, preserving, and investing in freedmen's settlements.

Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

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Introduced on June 18, 2024 by Sydney Kamlager-Dove

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Commemorates Juneteenth as a Federal holiday to honor the past, celebrate emancipation, and inspire hope and healing.
Recognizes the establishment of over 1,200 freedmen's settlements by African Americans seeking safe, self-sustaining communities post-emancipation.
Acknowledges the destruction and impoverishment of many freedmen's settlements due to systemic racism and economic discrimination.
Highlights the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental and Climate Justice Program and the Justice40 Initiative as efforts to address disparities in underserved communities.
Details the challenges faced by specific freedmen's settlements, including Sand Branch, Texas; Africatown, Alabama; Mossville, Louisiana; Edmondson, Arkansas; Allensworth, California; Oberlin Village, North Carolina; and Independence Heights, Texas, due to environmental pollution, economic disinvestment, and gentrification.
Emphasizes the need for comprehensive documentation, historic preservation, and economic justice initiatives to support the descendants and communities of freedmen's settlements.
Calls for coordination among federal, state, and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, to address historical injustices and support community preservation.
Urges ongoing support for the preservation of freedmen's settlements, including protection from development, environmental hazards, and support for economic development and infrastructure improvements.
Affirms the importance of recognizing and investing in freedmen's settlements to achieve greater equity and address the legacies of racism, discrimination, and environmental injustice.
Honors the legacy of freedmen's settlements in fostering freedom, resilience, and community care, and recognizes their significance on Juneteenth 2024.

Last updated 8/7/2024