Honoring Black Resilience and Liberation on Juneteenth

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom—two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. It is a day of celebration, yes, but also a moment of reflection. It asks us not just to look back at what was, but to reckon with what still is—and to dream boldly about what could be.

For me, Juneteenth is a time to honor Black resilience. Not resilience as it’s often defined—the ability to “bounce back” from hardship—but a deeper, more powerful force. Black resilience is resistance. It is the defiant insistence on dignity, joy, and justice in the face of systems that were never designed for our liberation. It is both an individual and collective act, rooted in a long legacy of struggle and hope.

At the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), our mission is a reflection of that legacy. Every day, we support people returning from incarceration to secure employment and build pathways to economic mobility. Black Americans are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of white Americans, and the barriers they face upon release—from racial discrimination in hiring to limited access to housing and healthcare—are staggering.

And yet, despite these injustices, I witness Black excellence and leadership daily. I see the brilliance and drive of CEO participants who are determined to rebuild their lives and support their families. I see the commitment and compassion of our staff members who work tirelessly to support our participants on their journey towards a better life. I also see it in the spaces we create for our staff and participants to heal, learn, and grow together.

As Maya Angelou once said, “If I am not good to myself, how can I expect anyone else to be good to me?” Resilience requires rest. It requires space to grieve, to grow, and to imagine new futures.

Juneteenth reminds us that true freedom isn’t just about the absence of chains—it’s about the presence of opportunity, equity, and justice. Black resilience is not just survival; it is transformation. It is using institutional power to create new systems rooted in equity for Black people. We’ve seen this throughout history—from the organizing of the Niagara Movement to the founding of Black-owned banks and businesses, to the transformative leadership of President Barack Obama. When Black people thrive, everyone benefits.

At CEO, we see our work as part of this tradition. Whether it’s our policy advocacy to end the collateral consequences of incarceration, our efforts to guide employers in building inclusive workplaces, or our internal equity work, we are committed to shifting structures, centering impacted voices, and creating lasting change.

This Juneteenth, I invite you to not only commemorate freedom—but to act in service of it. Racial justice requires all of us. Listen deeply to Black voices. Invest in Black-led organizations and businesses. Uplift justice-impacted leaders. Read Black authors. Reflect on your role—and then take a step forward.

As Bayard Rustin once said, “We are all one, and if we don’t know it, we will learn it the hard way.” Let’s learn it the right way—together—by building a world that truly honors Black resilience and liberation.