As an education justice organization, AQE holds the responsibility not only to advocate for every child's right to safe, affirming care and education, but also to raise our voices in the larger struggle for justice and freedom. Our mission has always centered equity across race and class, because we understand that no fight for justice exists in isolation.
Today, as the social justice community faces censorship, state violence, and deepening inequity, we are reminded that education equity is deeply intertwined with the fight against racism, economic injustice, and authoritarianism in our schools, homes, and society at large.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it was issued. That delay wasn't just a case of justice deferred, it reflected how systems built on racial hierarchy will always delay, deny, and distort justice, unless and until they are met with organized resistance. The story of Juneteenth is not simply one of freedom arriving, it is one of Black people demanding and securing it for themselves.
The struggle for Black liberation continues today. The legacy of slavery persists through mass incarceration, police violence, educational injustice, and systemic economic exclusion. This ongoing fight is inseparable from other movements for justice, because Black liberation is not just about the freedom of one community - it is a vital part of the broader struggle for collective liberation.
Our futures are interdependent, and so too is our power to shape them. In this moment, as efforts to suppress truth, erase histories, and shrink the space of belonging intensify, we must remember that authoritarianism thrives when fear is weaponized and voices are silenced. On this Juneteenth, history reminds us that resistance, solidarity, and truth are powerful tools for transformation.
To honor Juneteenth is to meet this moment with clarity and courage. It is to see the throughline from our past to our present and choose community over division, solidarity over silence. We honor the emancipatory spirit of this day by fighting for a world where every child can thrive, where truth is protected, and where all the communities AQE fights for - from Brooklyn to Buffalo, Haverstraw to Hempstead, from Khartoum to Gaza - are free to live, learn, and dream with dignity.
This week, early voting for primary elections are taking place in New York State. Exercising the right to vote is about putting people in office who are committed to protecting our safety, securing our rights, and making sure that our voices are heard. If you are registered with a party, we encourage you to exercise your right to vote in the primaries.
It is equally important to take a moment to learn, follow, and support the organizations and voices creating the future we want to see today. Groups like Black Girls Sew, which empowers youth through exposure to design skills and entrepreneurship; Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which works to dismantle racist systems through restorative justice; and artists like NYC's youth poet laureate Kai Diata Giovanni whose work amplifies Black voices and creates spaces for healing and change. These folks are on the frontlines of today's movement for Black liberation, and by supporting them, we contribute to the collective strength that uplifts their work and, ultimately, us all.
Let us remember that our liberation is bound together, and Juneteenth serves as a reminder that we rise stronger together.
In solidarity,
Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari and Marina Marcou-O'Malley
Co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education
