Juneteenth Is Not the End. It’s the Handoff

Reflections on Juneteenth in America in 2025

Juneteenth is not the end.
It’s the handoff.

This image says what I couldn’t stop feeling today—that the fight for freedom didn’t end in 1865, and it sure as hell hasn’t ended now.

To my Black brothers and sisters: I see you. I honor you. And while I haven’t walked your exact road, I’ve walked beside it. I’ve heard your stories. I’ve seen the stares. I’ve watched the systems bend and break around you—and still, you rise.

When I ran a nonprofit for five years where almost all of the children we served were Black, I watched the world react to their joy with suspicion every time we went out in public. I’ve heard the heartbreak from friends and colleagues and family who were stopped for “driving while Black.” I’ve learned—and keep learning—what it means to show up not just in love, but in action.

This image is for all of us who continue to march with you now—for justice, for freedom, and for safety.

Because Juneteenth is not a day off.
It’s a call-up.
To remember.
To resist.
To carry the fire forward.

I’m still walking with you.
I always will. ❤️‍🔥