BCHP Statement on Juneteenth Celebration

The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty (BCHP) recognizes and celebrates Juneteenth as one of the cornerstone events in the history of our country. The enslavement of Africans and the use of the chattel system on which much of the U.S. economy was built is the greatest stain on our legacy as nation. The ending of that enslavement and chattel system was a monumental first step toward healing, and we take time today and tomorrow to honor that event.

We also recognize that emancipation was simply a first step. Shortly after enslaved people attained their freedom, the United States continued to place roadblocks along the way of progress for them and their descendants. From Jim Crow laws to redlining, from lynching to mass incarceration, from voting restrictions to racial profiling, we have continued the struggle to realize the bedrock of all American principles, that ALL people are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. One result of this struggle is that African Americans are disproportionally affected by hunger and poverty. This is a tragedy that must end.

We believe a world without hunger for all people is possible. Today and tomorrow we celebrate. Then we recommit ourselves to the work of creating scalable solutions to end hunger for everyone.