June 19, 2019

Ms. Foundation for Women on Juneteenth: “Let us continue to strive for an America where all are truly free.”

Ms. Foundation for Women on Juneteenth: “Let us continue to strive for an America where all are truly free.

Ms. Foundation for Women, one of the first and largest women’s funds in the United States, issues the following statement:

NEW YORK (June 19, 2019) – Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger released the following statement on Juneteenth:

“On this day in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved Africans and Black Americans in the Deep South learned of their liberation. Over 150 years later, the legacy of this country’s supremacist and violent past lives on through the systemic racism, structural inequities, and misogynoir that still threaten Black livelihoods.

“From slavery, through the Jim Crow era, to now, where movements such as Black Lives Matter exist to protect people of color from the injustices of the very institutions that ought to protect us, it is clear that America still exercises inordinate control over Black bodies. We live in a country where tax dollars are allocated to police departments and prisons rather than schools and community centers, legislative leaders strip bodily autonomy and family planning rights away from women and those who can become pregnant, instead of advocating for equal pay and affordable childcare, and where Black women are 243% more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth.

“Despite these historic and existing injustices, Black people remain resilient, continuing to fight for progress and a better tomorrow. Black women are at the frontlines of every major political and social movement in this country, from voting rights, economic justice, access to affordable health care, reproductive rights for women, criminal justice, and more. We are creators and advocates, athletes and teachers, leaders and community members whose daily lives are a testament to our ancestors enduring survival. This is not our first fight, and our resistance, our persistence, and our impact will live on for centuries.

“Juneteenth is a time to reflect on the past and commit to creating a better future. As we recognize the end of slavery over 150 years ago, let us continue to strive for an America where all are truly free. The Ms. Foundation for Women and our grantee-partners will continue to fight against racism, xenophobia and hate until we are all seen as equal.”

Ms. Foundation spokespeople are available for interviews by phone or in-person from NYC. To schedule, please contact Sunshine Sachs at [email protected].

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For 45 years, the Ms. Foundation for Women has worked to build women’s collective power in the U.S. to advance equity and justice for all. The Ms. Foundation invests in, and strengthens the capacity of women led movements to advance meaningful social, cultural, and economic change in the lives of women. With equity and inclusion as the cornerstones of true democracy, the Ms. Foundation works to create a world in which the worth and dignity of every person are valued, and power and possibility are not limited by gender, race, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or age.