Juneteenth Reminds Us That the Fight for Freedom Is Far From Over

Juneteenth represents the long-delayed freedom of enslaved Black people in the United States.
But Juneteenth isn't just a day to celebrate. For me, it's a marker—a moment to remember what came right after emancipation. Because every time Black people in this country have pushed forward toward freedom and justice, something has stepped up to push back. That pushback is the unfinished business of American democracy, and it's playing out right now.
After the Civil War, the promise of Reconstruction was real. Newly-freed Black people voted, ran for office, built institutions, and claimed their rights. But the backlash was swift and violent. The Ku Klux Klan wasn't just a fringe group—it was an organized force, often aided by local power structures, meant to terrorize Black communities and preserve white supremacy. Klan members and others didn't just attack in the streets; they infiltrated sheriffs' offices, courts, and local governments. Their ideology seeped into institutions designed to protect justice. Reconstruction was ultimately undermined by this collusion—laws without enforcement, rights without protection.
That same pattern is echoing today. Investigations have revealed that hundreds of individuals affiliated with extremist groups—like the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters—have served in law enforcement or the military. Members of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys were convicted for their roles in the January 6 insurrection. Pardons have been granted and these repeated public calls for clemency have sent a message: some groups can act with impunity.
Today, a long tradition of white supremacist ideology undermines public safety and provides permission for violence.
It's important to distinguish between white nationalism and white supremacy. White nationalism is an organized, ideological push for a white-only nation—groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers fit this mold. White supremacy is the broader system that maintains racial hierarchy and inequality through laws, culture, and institutions. White nationalists exploit and reinforce that system while posing a direct threat to democracy and multiracial belonging.
White supremacist forces during Reconstruction used law and policy to strip Black people of newly gained rights. Today, white nationalist movements aim to reshape who belongs in America by targeting the most vulnerable. Their ideology isn't confined to rallies or fringe forums—it's embedded in policy agendas that echo past efforts to define citizenship narrowly and weaponize government systems to exclude. Nowhere is this clearer than in the realm of immigration enforcement.
In recent months, large-scale immigration enforcement actions have devastated immigrant and refugee communities. These aren't just isolated policy decisions—they are calculated assaults on the rights that Americans have fought for over generations. When white nationalist-aligned forces attack birthright citizenship, they're not just targeting immigrants. They're threatening the 14th Amendment—a cornerstone of post-slavery constitutional protection that guards us all against second-class status.
These attacks are connected. Immigration raids, voter suppression laws, and attacks on educational freedom are part of a broader effort to redraw the lines of who belongs in America and to weaponize citizenship as a tool of exclusion. It's a dangerous project that strikes at the heart of multiracial democracy.
In response, business owners, faith leaders, and civil society groups have organized legal challenges, rapid-response networks, and public campaigns. These acts of resistance echo the original spirit of Juneteenth—not just surviving, but fighting back.
But the danger doesn't end with extremist groups. The deeper threat lies in the systems that allow them to thrive—flawed hiring practices, opaque oversight, and policies that enable racial profiling and targeted enforcement. It's the machinery of mass incarceration, deportation, and over-policing which is still disproportionately aimed at Black and Brown communities.
This is why Juneteenth matters beyond symbolism. It's a call to vigilance and collective power. The fight for Black freedom and dignity is fundamental to any functioning democracy. When Black people are free—when our rights are secure—everyone moves closer to a society of shared voice, safety, and belonging.
Each of us has a role in this long, disciplined struggle. We must organize from the ground up. We must educate our communities, demand transparency, and build new systems rooted in justice—whether that means ending harmful immigration practices, exposing extremist ties in public agencies, or investing in alternatives to punitive policing.
When white supremacy infiltrates law enforcement and federal agencies, it doesn't just harm those directly targeted—it undermines democracy itself. Defending democracy means rejecting that infiltration and choosing to build something better, together.
So, as we mark Juneteenth this year, let's carry two truths: a clear-eyed understanding of history's hard lessons and a fierce commitment to action. The freedom Juneteenth commemorates was never a finish line. It was always a starting point.
If we answer that call—if we organize with intention, demand accountability, and center the long arc of Black struggle to build one nation, with liberty and justice for all—we can build a future where Juneteenth's promise is fulfilled for every person who calls this country home.

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Hamilton Spectator

42 minutes ago

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The Latest: US joins Israeli air campaign and strikes 3 nuclear sites in Iran

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Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The agency did not elaborate. Here is the latest: Flames see at Fordo nuclear site in Iran after US strike, report says Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency has published an account by one of its reporters, saying flames could be seen after the bombs hit the Fordo facility. Fars, which is believed close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said its reporter heard anti-aircraft fire around 2:05 a.m. local time and explosions two minutes later. 'When I reached the vicinity ... the air defense system was operating intensely, and its activity was clearly visible in the sky,' the reporter said. Later on, the reporter said, 'flames suddenly erupted from the direction of Fordo.' Simultaneously with the flames, a faint trail of smoke and a significant amount of dust rose in the area, Fars quoted the reporter. 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Sixty-seven American citizens left Israel on two government flights bound for Athens, Greece on Saturday and four more evacuation flights to Athens were planned for Sunday, according to an internal State Department document seen by The Associated Press. In addition to the flights, a cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 American citizens, including several hundred Jewish youngsters who had been visiting Israel on an organized tour, arrived in Cyprus, according to the document. — Matthew Lee Israel closes airspace in wake of US attacks Israel's Airport Authority announced it was closing the country's airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. The agency said it was shutting down air traffic 'due to recent developments' and did not say for how long. Iran says 'no signs of contamination' after US strikes nuclear facilities Iran said early Sunday there were 'no signs of contamination' at its nuclear sites at Isfahan, Fordo and Natanz after U.S. airstrikes targeted the facilities. Iranian state media quoted the country's National Nuclear Safety System Center, which published a statement saying its radiation detectors had recorded no radioactive release after the strikes. 'There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites,' the statement added. Earlier Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites similarly have caused no recorded release of radioactive material into the environment around the facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. Strikes used 'bunker buster' bombs and cruise missiles The U.S. military used 'bunker-buster' bombs in its attack on Iran's Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, which is built deep into a mountain, a U.S. official said. That official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. The 30,000-pound bunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to penetrate underground and then explode. Saturday's strikes were the first time it has been used in combat. U.S. submarines also participated in the attacks in Iran, launching about 30 Tomahawk land attack missiles, according to another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. It was not clear what those missiles were aimed at. Two Iranian nuclear sites besides Fordo were attacked, Isfahan and Natanz. — Lolita C. Baldor Trump called Netanyahu after strikes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video that Trump called him after the strikes. 'It was a very warm conversation, very emotional,' Netanyahu said. Speaking in Hebrew, he called Trump a friend of Israel like no one before him. 'In my name, and on behalf of all citizens of Israel and on behalf of the entire Jewish world, I thank him from the bottom of my heart.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

Atlantic

an hour ago

• Atlantic

Trump's Two-Week Window for Diplomacy Was a Smoke Screen

Well, he did it. He actually did it. President Trump insisted for months that he wanted the ultimate deal with Iran, one that would put a definitive end to the country's ability to produce a nuclear weapon. As late as Thursday, he suggested that Iran's leaders would have up to two more weeks to negotiate. But at that point, he had already made up his mind: the United States was going to bomb Iran. The president privately communicated his decision to bomb Iran's nuclear sites after a meeting with national security advisers on Wednesday, two people familiar with his decision told us. His statement Thursday, suggesting a two-week window and 'a substantial chance of negotiation' with Iran, was a feint meant to keep the Iranians off guard, four people familiar with the planning told us. (The White House did not respond to a request for comment Saturday night.) Trump declared from the White House Saturday that the strikes hours earlier had left Iran's nuclear facilities 'completely and totally obliterated,' and demanded that Iran abandon any remaining nuclear capability. The assault was the culmination of a nearly two-decade effort to contain or end Iran's nuclear program. It thrusts the United States more deeply into a high-stakes confrontation with a country where members of parliament chant 'Death to America' and quite possibly increases the potential for counterattacks and economic disruption. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran,' he said, standing with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The suggestion of a two-week reprieve Trump announced on Thursday came as the U.S. government prepared for a range of scenarios, flying U.S. citizens out of Israel, moving personnel out of American embassies in the Middle East, and dispersing ships and aircraft from bases in the region to prevent damage in any Iranian attack. The administration must now brace for the possibility of Iranian retaliation, which current and former officials said would most likely be aimed at U.S. bases, personnel or facilities in the Gulf, Iraq, or elsewhere in the region. The attacks could also have commercial repercussions if Tehran moves to attack or block shipping in the waterways off Iran. The operation was closely coordinated with Israel, now a week into its own highly effective bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites, a person familiar with the planning told us. After the U.S. strikes concluded, Trump spoke with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long pushed the United States to act. Trump chose to initiate his air assault after he was impressed by the success of Israel's offensive, which has further eroded Iran's air defense capability, and came to believe that 'a little push from us would make it incredibly successful,' an ally of the president who spoke to him about the decision told us. U.S. officials said Trump genuinely wanted to strike a nuclear deal with Iran—seven years after he ripped up the agreement reached by former President Barack Obama—but came to an impasse with the Iranians over the issue of the enrichment of uranium. Washington demanded that Tehran give up enrichment entirely, or else submit to strict American and international supervision. Iran refused these conditions. Some officials held out hope that U.S. bombing would change Iran's calculus and force its leaders to negotiate on the full dismantlement of the nuclear program. In the short term, however, they predicted that Iran would resort to asymmetric warfare, deploying cyberattacks and other operations that could potentially draw the United States further into the conflict. Retired General Joseph Votel, who served as CENTCOM commander during the Obama and first Trump administrations, said the United States would now employ aerial surveillance, mapping, and signals intelligence to assess the damage to Iranian nuclear sites. 'It's not as great as putting your own eyeballs on it,' Votel told us, 'but it's pretty good.' Trump's announcement of U.S. strikes on Saturday evening came about 90 minutes after the White House told reporters following the president that there would be no more news for the night, and they could go home. 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Earlier in the week, Trump had said he thought Iran was 'very close to having' weapons. The U.S. intelligence community also had said Iran was enriching uranium that could potentially be used in a weapon, and was stockpiling highly enriched uranium far in excess of what would be needed for a civilian energy program. But crucially, U.S. intelligence agencies had long ago determined that Iran's supreme leader had suspended the weapons program in 2003. Enriching nuclear material is just one component of a weapon. A nuclear warhead has to be fitted onto a ballistic missile capable of surviving reentry into earth's atmosphere and landing on its target–not a trivial feat of engineering. In an apparent attempt to make U.S. intelligence analysis adhere more closely to Trump's own judgments, Gabbard on Friday said that her comments before Congress that Iran was not trying to build a weapon had been deliberately misinterpreted by 'dishonest media.' 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Los Angeles Times

an hour ago

• Los Angeles Times

The latest: U.S. joins Israeli air campaign and strikes 3 nuclear sites in Iran

The U.S. military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel 's effort to decapitating the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict. The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground. President Donald Trump was the first to disclose the strikes. There was no immediate acknowledgment from the Iranian government. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The agency did not elaborate. Here is the latest: Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency has published an account by one of its reporters, saying flames could be seen after the bombs hit the Fordo facility. Fars, which is believed close to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said its reporter heard anti-aircraft fire around 2:05 a.m. local time and explosions two minutes later. 'When I reached the vicinity ... the air defense system was operating intensely, and its activity was clearly visible in the sky,' the reporter said. Later on, the reporter said, 'flames suddenly erupted from the direction of Fordo.' Simultaneously with the flames, a faint trail of smoke and a significant amount of dust rose in the area, Fars quoted the reporter. It offered no photos or video showing the attack Israeli officials lauded the strikes in sweeping and dramatic language. Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, thanked Trump and said the strikes marked a 'decisive moment between the axis of terror and evil and the axis of hope.' Israel's defense minister congratulated Trump on what he described as a 'historic decision.' The U.S. is stepping up evacuation flights for American citizens from Israel to Europe and continuing to draw down its staff at diplomatic missions in Iraq as fears of Iranian retaliation again U.S. interests in the Middle East grow. Even before those airstrikes were announced by President Donald Trump on Saturday evening in Washington, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem announced the start of evacuation flights for American civilians from Israel. Sixty-seven American citizens left Israel on two government flights bound for Athens, Greece on Saturday and four more evacuation flights to Athens were planned for Sunday, according to an internal State Department document seen by The Associated Press. In addition to the flights, a cruise ship carrying more than 1,000 American citizens, including several hundred Jewish youngsters who had been visiting Israel on an organized tour, arrived in Cyprus, according to the document. — Matthew Lee Israel's Airport Authority announced it was closing the country's airspace to both inbound and outbound flights in the wake of the U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. The agency said it was shutting down air traffic 'due to recent developments' and did not say for how long. Iran said early Sunday there were 'no signs of contamination' at its nuclear sites at Isfahan, Fordo and Natanz after U.S. airstrikes targeted the facilities. Iranian state media quoted the country's National Nuclear Safety System Center, which published a statement saying its radiation detectors had recorded no radioactive release after the strikes. 'There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites,' the statement added. Earlier Israeli airstrikes on nuclear sites similarly have caused no recorded release of radioactive material into the environment around the facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. The U.S. military used 'bunker-buster' bombs in its attack on Iran's Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, which is built deep into a mountain, a U.S. official said. That official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. The 30,000-pound bunker-busting American bomb known as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to penetrate underground and then explode. Saturday's strikes were the first time it has been used in combat. U.S. submarines also participated in the attacks in Iran, launching about 30 Tomahawk land attack missiles, according to another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. It was not clear what those missiles were aimed at. Two Iranian nuclear sites besides Fordo were attacked, Isfahan and Natanz. — Lolita C. Baldor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video that Trump called him after the strikes. 'It was a very warm conversation, very emotional,' Netanyahu said. Speaking in Hebrew, he called Trump a friend of Israel like no one before him. 'In my name, and on behalf of all citizens of Israel and on behalf of the entire Jewish world, I thank him from the bottom of my heart.' Press writes for the Associated Press.