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Commemorating Juneteenth

ASPPH recognizes the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which was signed into law in 2021 by President Biden to commemorate June 19, 1865. On that date, freedom was proclaimed for enslaved people in Texas, the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery. Jubilee and celebration of this historic milestone should be tempered by the acknowledgment of contemporary forms of enslavement of people through global war, human trafficking, and famine. Additionally, as we reflect on Juneteenth, we keep in mind the ways in which structural racism continues to impact communities of color in the U.S. and are mindful of the importance of equity in all spaces, including public health and academia.