Recognizing Juneteenth

Juneteenth, recognized this coming weekend, celebrates freedom from our Nation’s slavery past. On Juneteenth we pause to honor the historic pain and lives lost to racial inequity and we also acknowledge that the struggles for liberation are ongoing. We reflect on how we can move forward and achieve positive, lasting change and how we can contribute to building a better, freer and more equitable society.

At 180 our social justice work is critical, and the work being done by our Board of Trustees, Staff, Volunteers and our Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression Committee, will help to ensure we reach our goals. Our work over this past year has given us the space to explore our beliefs through meaningful guided community conversations and thought provoking professional training. In the months ahead, we will delve even deeper as we begin to chart our agency-wide goals moving forward.

This Juneteenth, we encourage your own personal reflection and suggest listening to this beautiful rendition of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Alicia Keys, as you reflect and consider ways in which you can create a more just society. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS60luWpBe0