NYFC Celebrates and Honors Juneteenth

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States on June 19, 1865It’s a day to recognize the end of slavery and celebrate the amazing achievements of Black and African Americans across the country throughout history. This day has always held great meaning, but during the current critical resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement, it makes it all the more significant and apparent that freedom and justice in the United States have always been delayed for Black and African Americans.
 
As an organization focused on advancing opportunity for youth in foster care, who are disproportionately Black and people of color, NYFC witnesses the racial divide and systemic racism in our country daily.  The stark racial disparities in child welfare are no different than what can be seen across so many other systems.
 
Today in honor of Juneteenth, we reflect on incidents and history that have given rise to the BLM movement. As we take this time to reflect and redouble our efforts to combat systemic and overt racism,  we must also take a moment to celebrate the many creative, accomplished and perseverant youth that are part of the NYFC community – so many of whom are Black and African American.  
 
We celebrate this important day along with  our fellow child welfare professionals at the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) and the city’s 26 foster care agencies, and pay homage to the vast contributions and accomplishments of the unsung heroes whose voices were not heard.


To learn more about June 19, 2020, or SixNineteen – and how you can become involved, please visit: https://sixnineteen.com/about/
 
If you are interested in attending in-person or virtual events to celebrate Juneteenth, please explore:
https://map.sixnineteen.com/?source=web_module
https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2020/06/17/protests-renew-interest-in-holiday-marking-end-to-slavery
*If you choose to attend an in-person event, please do so safely and wear a mask