Celebrate. Amidst all the doom and gloom of today’s political climate, and literal climate, it can feel difficult to make space for joy. But Juneteenth is a day that demands it. It marks the long overdue arrival of freedom to the last enslaved Black Americans in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. For many Black Americans, Juneteenth is not only a moment to celebrate but a moment of a continued call for justice, freedom, and joy in the face of systemic oppression. That call isn’t just symbolic, it’s necessary. The roots of environmental justice run as deep as today and so does the legacy of our organizing. As we move through today, tomorrow, and the coming years, we must unite, and combine our shared passion and efforts to achieve the change we so desperately need.

Organize. If Juneteenth reminds us of anything, let it remind us that our power runs deep. The environmental justice movement wasn’t sparked by legislation or think tanks, it was born in the living rooms, church basements, and community centers of Black neighborhoods fighting for the most basic rights for themselves and their families. Across generations and geographies, Black communities have organized in the face of environmental harm that was never accidental, it was systemic. Whether confronting toxic landfills, unsafe public housing, or industrial pollution, these movements were rooted in self-determination and community care. And despite limited resources, they built lasting power. This movement is one we are still fighting today. In Black communities, organizing has always been both a form of resisitance and a path to collective healing. These lessons remind us that organizing in itself is not just tactical, it’s a shared purpose rooted in healing, building collective strength. And that strength is something this movement can’t do without.

Resist. It is of no surprise that the environmental injustices Black communities face today are not accidental. They are a direct result of centuries of extraction, exploitation, and exclusion. But so is resistance. Black-led movements have always shown us what resilience in action looks like. From protests to community gardens, resistance takes many forms and all of those forms are crucial to our continued success. The climate crisis is accelerating and political repression is growing. Yet, so is the momentum of those fighting back. Resistance today means patience and trust in the unknown. It means continuing to build grassroots power. It means ensuring frontline communities don’t just “have a seat” at the table but that they are welcomed back to the table they helped build. It means honoring the wisdom of those who came before us, while uplifting the energy of those carrying the torch forward.

So, this Juneteenth we celebrate, we organize, and we resist. We honor those who fought for freedom even when it felt out of reach. We learn from those who challenged the systems trying to silence them. And we move forward not in isolation, but together linked by history, purpose, and the unwavering belief that a more just, livable world is not only possible, but already being built.