In Alton, Duckworth Commemorates Juneteenth
[ALTON, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today provided the keynote remarks at Alton’s 33rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration, which is one of the longest-running Juneteenth celebrations in the state. Duckworth joined Alton Mayor David Goins, Alton Alderwoman Rosie Brown Alton Juneteenth Co-Commissioner Lee Barham and hundreds of community members to celebrate. Photos from today’s event are available on the Senator’s website.
Key Quotes:
“I’m grateful to be here to celebrate. Because that’s what Juneteenth is—a cause for celebration. For the past century and a half now, June 19th has grown into a symbol of how far our nation has come. It’s become a testament to the resilience of the Black community and how much stronger our nation is when we recognize that America’s greatest asset is the diversity among us.”
“For me, that includes using my position as a Senator to fight to reduce our nation’s maternal mortality rate—an epidemic that disproportionally affects Black women. It includes advocating for the communities of color that have borne the brunt of the environmental justice crisis. It includes making sure Black Americans have the financial freedom and economic opportunities to get ahead. And it includes working not just on Juneteenth but every other day, too, to ensure that we as a nation better support our Black communities.”
“I want you all to know that the work that you’re doing here today continues this legacy. It shows that you, too, understand the importance of not just doing well for yourself, but of doing good for your community as well. So as we celebrate an early Juneteenth, let me just say a huge thank you for fighting so hard to bring about a tomorrow that’s no longer defined by yesterday’s prejudices. A tomorrow in which everyone will recognize that Black Lives Matter.”
Full remarks as prepared below:
Hello, everyone!
Thank you, Mayor Goins and Alderwoman Rosie Brown, for letting me say a few words this morning.
I’m honored to be here alongside so many folks doing such incredible work—including those spearheading the Alton Juneteenth Commission and the Alton Parks Department.
159 years ago this Wednesday, word finally spread to Galveston, Texas, that the enslavement of Black Americans had ended and that the states of America were united once more.
I’m grateful to be here to celebrate.
Because that’s what Juneteenth is—a cause for celebration.
For the past century and a half now, June 19th has grown into a symbol of how far our nation has come…
It’s become a testament to the resilience of the Black community and how much stronger our nation is when we recognize that America’s greatest asset is the diversity among us.
Black Americans have given this country so much, even when they didn’t get much back—and from literature to music, art to activism, have made it a better, more vibrant place.
So Juneteenth is a day of joy. But it’s also a call to action: a reminder to keep pushing… prodding… even dragging our nation until in America, we’re not just created equal, but treated equally as well.
You know, in moments like these, it’s as important as ever to recognize the privilege that many of us have.
I’ll never be able to fully comprehend the fear that Black parents face every time their child steps outside… every time they dare to walk to school or play on the playground or buy some Skittles while Black.
I’ll never be forced to sit my daughters down and have the same talk that Black moms and dads must have with their kids about how to act when interacting with police officers to prove they pose no danger.
I’ll never know what that feels like. But what I do know is that the burden of all this trauma can’t fall on those families alone.
The responsibility… the work… of bending the moral arc of the universe towards justice can’t just be put on the backs of those who’ve been feeling its weight this whole time.
It’s on all of us—for we are stronger when we call for justice together.
For me, that includes using my position as a Senator to fight to reduce our nation’s maternal mortality rate—an epidemic that disproportionally affects Black women.
It includes advocating for the communities of color that have borne the brunt of the environmental justice crisis.
It includes making sure Black Americans have the financial freedom and economic opportunities to get ahead.
And it includes working not just on Juneteenth but every other day, too, to ensure that we as a nation better support our Black communities.
In countless ways, the history of Alton represents the best of our nation.
You were a safe haven for enslaved Americans fleeing north.
You were home to Elijah P. Lovejoy, a hero to many of us, who lost his life because he refused to stop fighting for what was right.
And you played host to those who wrote the Thirteenth Amendment of our Constitution, welcoming them in as they penned the words to permanently end slavery throughout the Union.
I want you all to know that the work that you’re doing here today continues this legacy…
It shows that you, too, understand the importance of not just doing well for yourself, but of doing good for your community as well.
So as we celebrate an early Juneteenth, let me just say a huge thank you for fighting so hard to bring about a tomorrow that’s no longer defined by yesterday’s prejudices…
A tomorrow in which everyone will recognize that Black Lives Matter.
Thank you once more.
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